


Adjustments Unwittingly Made

by DoomAmber



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Aftercare, Alpha!Felix, Alpha!Jeongin, Alpha!Jisung, Alpha!Minho, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Bang Chan-centric, Beta!Chan, Beta!Changbin, Beta!Hyunjin, Beta!Seungmin, Biting, Blow Jobs, Bottom Bang Chan, Brief Denial of Feelings, Brief Features of other Groups, Come Sharing, Come Swallowing, Cuddling, Deepthroating, Dom/sub Undertones, Exhibitionism, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Getting Together, Heats and Ruts, Hospitalization, If the whole ABO tag wasn't indication enough of that, Kind of Omega!Chan? I make it complicated, Kind of unexpectedly but they are ready for it, Kink Negotiation, Knotting, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Momentary Top!Chan, Nipple Play, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Not Beta Read, OT8, Overstimulation, Praise Kink, Recovery, Riding, Rough Sex, Service Top, Sex Toys, Smut, Spitroasting, Sub!Chan, Subspace, Temporarily Disabled Character, Voyeurism, alternative universe, mention of underage, we die like meh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:13:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 106,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23256730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomAmber/pseuds/DoomAmber
Summary: Chan liked being a beta. It made all the drama that came along with subsexs a little easier to wade through. But when Woojin is removed from the pack, everything gets knocked off kilter and just as they're getting things back together, Chan's body decides that being a beta just isn't enough.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Everyone, GOT7 Ensemble & Stray Kids Ensemble, Stray Kids Ensemble/Stray Kids Ensemble
Comments: 490
Kudos: 1105
Collections: Div's Mark for Later





	1. It Sneaks Up on You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this as a way to write smut, specifically bottom!Chan because it's annoyingly hard to find. Chan-centric smut in general is hard to come by. However, development happened, and then I got ideas for why Woojin left and now I have several chapters of feelings and angst and no smut yet. 
> 
> I'll get to the smut, don't you worry. I just didn't expect there to be a journey with this damn thing.
> 
> Tags will update as I write said smut.
> 
>  **EDIT 11/20/2020:** I will not be making any further changes the previous chapters except for minor grammatical edits when I find them.

Chan shivered as he felt a blast of cool air hit his heated skin, making him relax and ease the ache in his stomach. They were backstage after their latest performance and Chan honestly felt like someone had cranked on the heat and pointed it to him. It wasn’t abnormal to be overly hot after a performance. Usually once he’d taken an ice-cold shower he’d cool down. Now he’d had to resort to dropping himself in front of a A/C vent because it hadn’t done the trick. However, the stomachache had been coming and going for days now, though he didn’t feel any other symptoms of being sick, so he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He felt a presence beside him and looked up to see a confused looking Felix next to him. The alpha was in his causal clothes, hair wet as he’d probably just gotten out of the showers too, “You all right? You smell a bit… different.”

The leader smiled at the younger. He had always been sensitive to scents, even before he presented. Now he was hyperaware or all the members scents and when they changed even the slightest bit. Chan shrugged, “Having trouble coming off the adrenaline. You’re probably smelling that. And a bit of a stomachache, but nothing serious.”

Chan was a neutral beta, the most common type of beta. There were also drift betas that would drift between two subsexs (beta and omega, or beta and alpha) depending on the need of their pack. But they were especially rare and only manifested when there was a need for them to drift. Otherwise, without genetic testing, they couldn’t be identified from a neutral beta. So, most people just used the term beta unless there was a medical reason not to. 

A neutral beta didn’t really have the high or low pheromones of an alpha or an omega, or even a drift beta. They did go through a heat or rut, switching between one or the other for the pack, but either was a fraction of what the other subsexs went through, and only a bit of the head fog. To top it off, even a beta’s scent was pretty mild, Chan’s especially. Any heat he did go through, because having four alphas in a pack left little reason to have a rut, was just a bit of an increased desire for some sort of contact with everyone in sight. Changbin and Hyunjin had explained they were similar, but they had a bit more of the head fog, and Changbin especially liked when their alpha’s wrestled with him. Seungmin had said his were pretty similar to Chan’s, mostly wanting cuddles from everyone within arm’s reach. Now with Woojin, previously their only omega, gone they were still figuring out if there was any change to that balance.

Chan tried to push the line of thought away, not wanting to get lost in any thoughts about him, and looked back to the A/C to enjoy the cold air. Changbin and three of the alphas of their pack had a good sense of when they were cycling, Chan, Jeongin, Seungmin, and Hyunjin didn’t. Usually Felix was pointing out everyone’s cycle before they even knew it was happening with how sharp his nose was. 

By traditional standards, they weren’t a 'perfect' pack. Four betas and four alphas was rare and plenty had already told them they needed at least one omega to even them out in the months since the dynamics of their pack had shifted. When the company had started giving in to those traditionalist ideas, Chan had lain out more than enough research from many acclaimed studies that showed packs didn’t have to have every subsex to be perfectly functional. Especially a platonic one. Bonded packs it was harder, but still abundantly proven possible, and if they ever started down that road, they would address it then. However unlikely it was.

It had never been brought up until Woojin had left. Half of the pack had been underage or unpresented, so it wasn’t even a topic up for discussion. A little of discomfort had sat in his stomach after the omega had left though; had Woojin been sabotaging that too? Pushing Chan to believe that they would always be platonic so he didn’t have to commit to anything?

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought and Chan tried to force himself to think of something else again. He remembered how Jeongin had presented shortly after, the stress of what they’d been through and their instincts going haywire at losing one of their pack, even if it was agreed on, had taken its toll on all of them. Then to top it off, everything they needed to do to rework the album and music videos, and the additional media attention from the split, had drawn it out of Jeongin. Even now, several months later, they were still trying to find their footing again. They were getting there, but it was taking time.

Felix bent over him and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him out of his own head as the younger sniffed at him, frowning, “I don’t know about that, it’s stronger than normal, even when you're in heat. And I don’t like how that stomachache changed your scent… but if you’re sure.”

Chan nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. One of the managers leaned into the room and called, “Vans are ready, let’s go!”

Chan unraveled Felix’s arms from around him then used Felix’s sturdy hold to leverage himself back up to his feet. They quickly gathered their personal items and moved into the hall with the other members and the staff. Of course, it was Jisung that mentioned it again, “Dude, what’s got your scent off?”

Of all the members he’d known Jisung the longest and he was the only one that had been there for Chan’s own presenting as a beta, so he had a unique perspective on his scent, “Still running high on adrenaline,” he explained with a shrug.

“You sure? You smell like you’re about to go into heat,” Jisung pointed out.

Chan frowned, “I’d be a month off,” he said as he glanced at Felix apologetically for dismissing him earlier and sniffed at himself. 

Minho came up behind him and sniffed at his hair, making Chan shiver slightly, “Maybe the traveling as bumped your cycle. You definitely smell like you’re about to hit your heat.”

Chan groaned, “Shit, that’s gonna suck if I have to resituate that.”

Jeongin leaned in, bright eyes focused on Chan as he sniffed lightly, “Oh, you smell good though.” Then he frowned, “Mostly?”

Chan put a hand on his stomach, “Just a bit upset, it’s fine.”

Hyunjin let out a small snort of a laughter as Jeongin nodded. He leaned in again, scenting one more time, and Chan couldn’t help noticing as Jeongin’s eyes dilated a bit. The leader shooed him away, “Stop that, there’s not that much to smell.”

The eight of them piled into the vans, Chan ended up sandwiched between Hyunjin and Changbin in the back of the first one, with Minho and Seungmin in the seats in the middle. Felix and Jisung had gone with Jeongin to talk a bit more about dealing with how scents could affect him and how to manage that. He’d been through enough classes for it, but actually applying anything was always a different story. He'd been working hard at it, but they didn't want him to feel like he was ever without support. As they drove to their hotel, Chan noticed Minho glancing over his should a bit more and Hyunjin giving him odd looks. He was rather distracted though, the pain in his stomach seeming to increase again and spread. He leaned over slightly, rubbing his thighs a bit, but forced it aside. 

Changbin finally looked over at him, eyes narrowed, “Chan, are you sure you’re okay? Your scent is getting really strong and bitter.”

Chan frowned and sniffed at himself, though still not smelling much, “I don’t understand, I’m not scenting more than normal…”

Minho turned around this time, his eyes a bit dilated. The oldest alpha was almost always in control, so to see that made Chan frown. “You may not smell it, but we can. Believe me,” the dancer said with a lick of his lips.

The leader groaned and leaned against Hyunjin, the other beta leaning his cheek against Chan’s hair. “Should we start a nest in the hotel room?” The younger asked.

“Probably, we might have to deal with our flight being delayed, but that’s better than anything escalating,” Minho said, and then turned around to talk to the manager at the front of the car.

Chan pouted because his heats were pretty standard for a beta. If he was really giving off that kind of scent though, it could be dangerous. The manager would more than likely get some suppressants that evening so if it did continue to escalate, Chan could take them to try and make their flight. 

As they drove though, he couldn’t help grimacing at a particularly hard cramp that made his body jerk. Hyunjin, who he had been leaning against still, jumped and looked over at their leader, “Chan? What was that?”

“Not sure,” he said, a hand rubbing his stomach as he managed to take a few breaths, “I’ve had these weird cramps for a few days now. That was a particularly bad one though.”

“Cramps?” Changbin queried and moved to put a hand over Chan’s stomach.

Hyunjin did the same while Minho and Seungmin waited a moment to see if it would happen again. Chan relaxed as it didn’t, “See, they come and g-O—!”

He was cut off as another hit him and this time he did double over, gasping for a chance to breathe as his muscles clenched. This wasn’t just a cramp; it was a spasm. He could feel the ripples of it across his abdomen and under the other two beta’s hands as they held onto him while he remained bent over his knees. A hand was in his hair and he could hear someone hushing him softly. As the spasm finally subsided, he carefully raised himself, afraid the movement would set something off. Seungmin’s hand slid out of his hair once he was fully upright and Chan smiled at the younger beta thankfully. 

Everyone in the van, save the driver, were focused on him now. He took a few breaths, trying to make sure it was passed and said, “It stopped, I’m ok now.”

“Chan,” Changbin started, “we need to watch that. I didn’t like how that felt.”

It was then that Chan realized the younger’s hand was still over his stomach. He’d felt how to muscles had twisted and clenched over one another. He grimaced and nodded, “All right, I’ll tell you if more like that happen.”

“I’ll get a doctor on-call,” the manager said from the front seat, “just in case.”

Chan nodded reluctantly, hating that he was causing trouble for the group and management. Changbin tapped his thigh with his free hand, “Stop that. We’re not having a repeat of December.”

The leader nodded. December had been a rollercoaster of a month. October and November had been as well, but December had been particularly hard. Jisung had ended up breaking down from the weight everything that had come to light in October, then the mad, constant rush to rework the album, then Jeongin’s presentation, and the alpha’s mental state had had enough at that point. Changbin had been with him in the studio when it had happened, and the smaller beta had called Chan in a quiet panic of his own as he’d begged Chan to talk to management. Chan hadn’t hesitated and Minho had come along with him to get Jisung the time off he’d needed.

Chan reached up and wrapped his hand in Changbin’s, taking it off his stomach just so he could hold it tighter, and cuddled closer to Hyunjin. The taller shifted to accommodate him better, and soon Chan found himself drifting off. 

He woke up to Hyunjin nudging him, making him grumble as he sat up, “We’re at the hotel,” Changbin said. 

Chan nodded and moved to grab his bag. The bag was gone, and he looked up with a pout to see Seungmin had grabbed it. The younger smiled, “I got it,” then gestured to the jacket on Chan's lap, "Don't let that fall."

He hadn’t had one when he fell asleep. He examined it and realized it was Minho’s. He looked over at the alpha, who was purposefully not looking at him, “Put it on. I have a feeling you’ll need it.”

Confusion set in and Hyunjin leaned in to whisper in Chan’s ear, “Your smell is stronger now. He’s getting alpha on you.”

Minho shot him a mild look, but let it slide as Hyunjin just smiled at the other dancer. Chan’s eyebrows rose. He’d rarely been on the receiving end of any of the alpha’s ‘going alpha’ episode, because of all the beta’s in their pack, his scent was the lightest. Changbin and Hyunjin would get about halfway to what an omega would smell like, and that was enough to set off the four alpha’s protective, and occasionally possessive, instincts. Seungmin was close to Chan yet again, but still got more of it than Chan ever did. 

It put a little blush on Chan’s cheeks, and the leader quietly pulled the jacket on. He was torn between liking it, and not knowing what to do with it. He was the leader, he took care of everyone else. As they hopped out of the van though, he was thankful for it. It was colder than he thought, and while he liked the blast of cool air against his still heated skin, it was a bit too sharp. 

“Good Christ,” came Felix’s deep voice behind them.

Chan turned to smile at the younger Australian, only to pause at the look on his face. His mouth was slightly open, alpha fangs peeking out, and eyes blown wide as he took a deep breath, “You smell almost as strong as when an omega is going into heat.”

“I still don’t smell anything. This is so weird,” Chan said, expression more confused as he looked down at himself.

He tried to sniff at himself again, to get some understanding of what the others were smelling. But he got next to nothing abnormal. When he looked back, Felix had gotten himself back under control and Jeongin was chewing on his lower lip as he fought to keep his own fangs in. Jisung stepped in, “Come on, let’s get to the hotel room. We’ll setup for the evening and get some suppressants.”

Jisung glanced at the manager, who was already nodding in agreement. Chan leaned more into Hyunjin, then blinked in surprise as another arm came around him. Minho had taken up Changbin’s spot when the beta had moved to help Felix rein himself in, allowing the alpha to scent his hair lightly. Jeongin kept away nervously, keeping Jisung between them as they went through the lobby and up the elevator, avoiding as many people as possible. 

They made it to their rooms without incident, and Chan immediately crawled into his bed and grabbed a pillow. Seungmin, who he was sharing a room with, laughed, “Come on, Channie. We have to build something of a nest.”

Chan grumbled, “I don’t want to. I’m suddenly really tired.”

It wasn’t far from the truth. As they rode the elevator up, he’d almost fallen asleep on Minho’s shoulder. It was very unlike him, and he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Seungmin tossed a pillow on top of him, “Fine, I’ll build the nest on top of you then.”

“Mkay,” he said with a dismissive flail of his hand. 

He meant to get up after a moment of playfully pretending to sleep as Seungmin started building the nest. He’d actually fallen asleep instead, and woke up to Seungmin burrowing against his neck, with mounds of pillows and blankets around them. He whined and mumbled, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep…”

“It’s okay.” Seungmin soothed him, a small wave of calm apple and cinnamon scent coming from the beta, “We all know how weird your sleep is. I was glad to see you sleeping instead of up at your computer till long after I passed out.”

Chan rubbed an eye, nodding, “The others?”

“They’ll be here in a bit. They didn’t want to come until they were ready for sleep too,” he explained, rubbing Chan’s side.

“Mmm, wanna cuddle,” he murmured as he accepted the explanation.

Seungmin hummed and pulled him closer, “We all can soon. How’s your stomach doing?”

Chan had to think about that, shivering as Seungmin passed a hand over the muscles that had cramped so hard earlier in the car, “Fine, haven’t felt anything since the van.”

Seungmin nodded, “All right, good. Hopefully it was just something from the after-performance rush.”

Chan nodded, “I hope so, it was not pleasant.”

“You said you’d had them for a while?” Seungmin asked.

“Yeah, but none that intense. Just little cramps here and there over the last few days,” he explained, shifting to look at the younger singer better.

Seungmin wore a worried expression, “I hope it’s not escalating.”

Chan considered this, taking on a more serious expression, “I guess it could be. I’ll tell you all if they keep happening though. I promise.”

Seungmin gave him a reassured smile and a nod, before tucking his head under Chan’s chin and curling close. Chan sighed happily, enjoying the contact as Seungmin’s scent seemed to envelope him. A knock on the door was heard a few moments later and Chan reluctantly pulled away from Seungmin to get it. The moment it opened he got one arm full of Felix, face burying into his neck, and another arm full of Hyunjin, who wrapped around both of them. He gave a small ‘oof’ sound, but it was more out of play. Behind them was Minho, who looked on with a fond, crooked smile. 

Chan shuffled them inside, and Minho immediately ‘tsk’ed, “We need to push the beds together. You know that Jisung will not accept two different beds for us.”

“Channie was asleep and I didn’t want to wake him up,” Seungmin admitted, moving to stand up. 

The eldest dancer gave an understanding sound and pinched both Hyunjin and Felix’s sides, “Let him breathe, and help me with the beds.”

Hyunjin whined unhappily but did as he was told, pulling Felix along with him. Chan dropped himself into one of the chairs with a yawn as he watched the three struggle with the beds and side tables. Seungmin came over and curled up in his lap, letting Chan rest his head on his shoulder sleepily. A few minutes later and the beds were together comfortably, and the rest of their group were knocking on the door. 

Changbin and Jisung were wrapped around one another, with Changbin leading a nervous Jeongin in. It was the first time one of them had gone into any kind of cycle since the youngest presented. Most of them were able to clock themselves well enough that they could take suppressants well beforehand, and since they’d just had a comeback, then a tour, they’d all been taking them. Chan hadn’t expected his to be any different than normal, which meant he didn’t have to take suppressants with how mild his symptoms were, just be mindful of getting too touchy with anyone. 

This was a new experience for them both. Chan was rarely the center of a cuddle pile and Jeongin had only been such when he was unpresented, so there were probably a lot of new smells and reactions. As Felix led them both in, Chan reached out a hand to Jeongin and Seungmin slid out of Chan’s lap easily, letting Jeongin take his spot. The youngest pursed his lips, “Is this okay?”

Chan nodded, “Hmm, it’s fine,” and nuzzled at the alpha’s neck.

Jeongin laughed lightly, “Your hair tickles…”

Chan poked his sides, making the youngest squirm, but let it be after that. They stayed cuddled up like that, Chan dozing lightly with Jeongin lightly stroking his arms, before Minho said, “All right, that’s good enough,” apparently satisfied with the nest finally. 

The second oldest came over to them and tugged them both up. Chan pushed Jeongin forward, thinking they wanted the youngest in the middle, but Jeongin wasn’t having it. With pout, he took hold of Chan’s arms and pulled him into the center of the nest, draping himself over one side of him. A head landed on Chan’s stomach and he looked down to Jisung peering up at him, with Changbin curling up to his side and settling his head on Chan’s shoulder. Chan glanced around a bit uncertainly, taking in Seungmin cuddling up to Felix with Hyunjin draping himself over Minho, who wore his normal slightly annoyed but still loving it look. The man was a cat in human form. 

Minho gave him a reassuring smile and Chan relaxed at that, slowly letting himself drift off into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I made the nature of betas clear in this, but if not - I've included my notes on them below:
> 
> Neutral betas, or more commonly just called betas, are considered 'versatile'. They will mildly swing towards omega or alpha according to what's needed for their pack, having very low level heat or ruts as they do. This is completely up to their body, they do not control it. This helps keep things balanced between the more extreme dynamics and can even make it so one dynamic isn't necessary. Male betas also cannot bear child and female betas cannot sire a child.
> 
> Drift betas will do the same until they are 'set off'. Once that happens, they will specifically only move towards one end of the spectrum in a much more extreme manner. Either between omega and beta or alpha and beta. Drift betas can bear or sire children because when they are set off their body suddenly says 'Well, I need these parts' and makes them. Thus why once they are set off, they can't go back to the other side of the spectrum. If the pack needs more central balance though, they will drift back over to beta with how heavy their scent is and how strong their heat/rut is, though they will still be able to have children and it will not be an extreme change like the first time. 
> 
> Also: Packs. They can be platonic/familial or not (bonded). Platonic packs will mark with scent only, and bonded packs will mark with bites. Which is what turns heats and ruts from a cuddlefest into a fuckfest.


	2. The Betrayal is All in Your Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck it. Have chapter two.

Chan had felt fantastic when he fell asleep, waking up he felt absolutely awful. He felt like he was burning up, his head pounded, and his stomach was twisted in so many knots he was sure if he moved, he would puke immediately. And with three bodies still pressed to him, or lain over him, he didn’t want to do that. Careful as he could, with eyes barely open to keep the nausea at bay, he moved his hand until he could shake Changbin. 

The beta grumbled and woke slowly. Sleep-clouded eyes looked up at him in mild annoyance, “What? It’s not morning.”

“I need to get up,” Chan said softly, but the urgency doubled as he felt acid in the back of his throat. “ _Now_ , Changbin, I have to get up now!”

The panic in his voice must have been enough to get the rapper moving. He shook awake Jisung, half pulling him off of Chan, and pushing Jeongin off as gently, but as quickly, as he could. Chan sat up, eyes finally opening fully, and immediately clamped a hand over his mouth and screwed his eyes back shut. Changbin had a hand on his arm as he heard murmuring around him, but he didn’t pay it any mind as he vaulted himself up and toward the bathroom. His legs weren’t working correctly though, and if not for Jisung and Changbin, he would have gone face first into the carpet. They fumbled their way to the bathroom where Chan immediately emptied everything from his stomach and then some. 

He felt hands on his back, soothing him as he wretched until there wasn’t even bile left, stomach feeling like it was trying to turn itself inside out and throat dry and yet somehow of fire, like someone had rubbed it with sandpaper. When it finally let up and Chan raised his head, one too many fluids still coming from his face from the sudden and violent strain his body had just put him through, a cold cloth was pressed to his cheek and he automatically took it. He started to wipe his face as he sat back from the toilet and leaned against the bathtub, still shaking, with his legs folded oddly and useless beneath him because his stomach and thighs were rippling with painful spasms that he was just noticing because he wasn’t distracted by vomiting.

He looked up at Jisung who was tending to him, Jeongin in the background putting another towel under the faucet, and grabbed Jisung’s hand as he reached out again. He pressed it to his stomach to try to explain what he was feeling because he couldn't quite say it and Jisung’s worried expression turned more panicked, “What is that?”

“Changbin,” he managed to croak out, immediately regretting it as he coughed and it made the spasms worse, making him cry out.

Changbin was in the doorway a moment later, he took one look at the scene and leaned back out of the door, “Minho, call the manager, on-call doctor, paramedics, something— _Now_!”

A sound of affirmation came, and Chan closed his eyes, whispering, “Sorry.”

“You’re fine, Channie. We’ve got you,” Jisung said softly, taking the cloth that Jeongin had handed him and continuing to clean Chan up.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Jisung clung to the hand Seungmin had offered him as they’d piled into the waiting room at the hospital. Management had hesitated to bring them, but Minho and he had thrown down for them to be there. They weren’t about to let the media or stalkers keep them away from Chan while he was at his most vulnerable. No one even knew what was going on, the paramedics hadn’t said a word, just started taking his vitals and loaded him up onto the stretcher before rushing to the ambulance, Changbin trailing after them determinedly. 

Once at the hospital, one manager had gone to find someone that would know what was going on and another was trying to contact Chan’s family, a third was talking to the company. He was sure there were others that had a thousand things going on, but he was focused on trying to keep himself calm. Chan had been in so much pain, so completely out of it, clinging to Felix even as the paramedics had told him he needed to let go so that he would be able to get help at the hospital. Letting them take Chan after that had killed Felix a little bit, they could all tell.

Seungmin shook his hand to get his attention, “Jisung, the staff is going to take care of him. He’s not going anywhere.”

“I know, it doesn’t make me less nervous though. It could be so many things wrong and I’m just scared it’s going to be something really bad,” he babbled.

He wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself or how long they would need to wait for an explanation. The sound of the chair next to him squeaking made him look over to find Felix next to him. The dancer smiled shakily at him and held out a hand. Jisung took it, fidgeting nervously with each of the younger’s hands. Soon, they were playing little games between them, distracting each other from the wait. 

As the quiet continued, he started to notice the others. Minho was staring determinedly at his phone, reading something, Changbin had come in at some point and was next to Minho, the two occasionally whispering to one another. Hyunjin had wrapped himself protectively around their youngest, probably needing something to hang onto as much as Jeongin needed the comfort. Though he would probably be reluctant to admit that later. All that was left now, was to wait for either a doctor or the managers to tell them what was going on with Chan.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan didn’t remember much after Jisung cleaned him up. They gotten him to the bed, Felix had been close, he remembered his forest smell practically drowning him at one point. Other than that, just that the doctor their manager had gotten had told them to get him to the ER immediately. He’d been scared initially, the scents in the room spiking until Seungmin and Minho stepped in and calmed everyone down. He’d clung to Felix, who had taken up holding him protectively as his body had gone in and out of spasms, until the paramedics had arrived. After that he remembered Changbin in the ambulance with him, and then people talking around him, before it all just blanked. 

Waking up later in the hospital was not enjoyable. He felt groggy and like half his body wasn’t there. He could hear the machines beeping around him, and he could feel them in his veins. That sent his heart rate skyward and he tried to sit up. A hand landed on his shoulder and held him down. He slurred, “No… don’t like…”

But he couldn’t complete the sentence as he was easily pushed back, “Mr. Bang? I’m nurse Jordan, do you know where you are?”

Chan blinked for a few moments, then said, “Hospital.” Because there was nowhere else he could think of that would have machines beeping like that.

“Good, how are you feeling?”

He went through a string of carefully worded questions and Chan answered slowly. Each question pulled him more and more out of the haze and he was better able to process the room around him. It was a big one, with a wall of glass windows and a large door on one side that led into what was probably the hall. It had to be one of the sealed rooms to prevent any issues with scents. “What happened?” He asked as the nurse’s questions stopped.

He smiled warmly at Chan, “The doctor will be in to talk to you about that in a moment now that you're lucid enough. She’s talking to the rest of your pack right now.”

Chan nodded, “Can I have some water?”

He nodded, “Sure! Ice chips will probably be the easiest for you right now. Let me go get some.”

He came back with ice a moment later and Chan carefully began to eat some. His hands were fine, but he still felt weirdly disconnected from some of his body. He was holding any panic down for when the doctor came. She arrived a few minutes later, in her white coat and glasses, with her hair done up in a tight bun. She smiled at him, “I have to say, your pack is a protective, if mostly well behaved, one.”

Chan squinted at her, “No, they’re not.”

She snorted, “Well, in an emergency, they are.”

Chan accepted that, “Please tell me what’s going on?” He was proud that he kept the tremor from his voice.

“I’m sure you’re thinking the worst, and it’s none of that,” she assured him as she stepped up to the bed. “My name’s Dr. Rossi. I’m a subsex and presentation specialist. Specifically, in drift betas. And that, Mr. Bang, is what you are,” she said bluntly, watching him closely.

Chan blinked widely, “What?”

Dr. Rossi smiled at him, practiced and even, “What’s been happening to you over the last few days, and more precisely, the last twelve hours, is that your body is drifting towards omega.”

Chan took another moment to process, “So, I’m not Neutral?”

“No. As you know, drift betas are neutral until given a reason to be something else as needed by their chosen pack. So, you’ve been neutral until a reason to be otherwise came along.” She explained, “Do you know was that reason was?”

Chan swallowed, “Yeah… Our only omega was removed from our pack.”

Dr. Rossi paused only briefly, a flash of curiosity that was quickly dismissed crossing her eyes as she continued with a nod, “That would do it. It’s less common with platonic packs, but not unheard of. When he was removed, your body picked up on what it considered a gap for the pack and reacted accordingly. You have four betas but the sudden lack of something that was once there triggered your drift. Your body is now realigning for that,” she explained.

“Is that why I feel really disconnected from most of my body?” He asked.

She shook her head, “That was us. But we had to numb your lower body. Otherwise you’d feel how your abdomen is still spasming hard as it is forcing things to grow and change as quickly as possible.”

He reached a hand up and placed it over his stomach. Sure enough, it was clenching and moving, he hadn’t even known. “Fuck…” he murmured, not caring that he had just cussed though. 

“Yeah,” she said softly. “This is a lot to take in, Mr. Bang. I’ve given you the overview of what’s happening, but your body is going to be doing this for several hours still and you’re going to be getting intermittent cramps, nausea, headaches, and a few other symptoms throughout the coming weeks. I think it’s best that you rest for the next day, until your muscles have done the initial, most painful, part, before we go through more.”

“W-we have another show in a few days though, a flight in… a few hours…” He started, mind racing through the list of numerous things they needed to do. 

“Mr. Bang,” she said firmly, “you’re not going anywhere. Not just because of doctor’s orders, but because you physically can’t. Your body, from the waist down, is rearranging itself. You can’t walk, and without the medication and shots we’ve got you on, you’d be screaming in pain. I realize you are a performer and an artist, and you will be able to get back to that. But you need to let your body work through this first.”

Chan fought back tears, but nodded shakily, “Umm, can I call someone?”

The doctor nodded, “We called your family as soon as we started waking you up. They requested a call as soon as you were coherent and aware of the situation.”

She moved to the table beside him and picked up the phone there, pulling the entire stand to him. She punched in a number and held it out to Chan. There were a few rings, then a voice he desperately needed to hear, “Hello?”

“Mom?” He said, tears clear in his voice.

He was thankful that the doctor left the room to give him some privacy.

~~~/~~~/~~~

The call had ended with him convincing his family that all of them didn’t need to come, but his mother was still on a plane to America in the next few hours. She’d probably arrive just as they were considering discharging him, or so he hoped. He’d gone back to sleep after that, exhausted both physically and emotionally. He’d probably been awake a total of forty-five minutes, but that had drained him to almost nothing. Now he was waking up again to someone holding his hand. 

Chan watched the hand for a moment, then looked a little more to the right to find Changbin completely passed out. A quiet, “Hey,” made him look to the left.

Seungmin was curled up on the couch, just as passed out as Changbin, but Hyunjin was awake and had pulled up a chair. The dancer gave him a sleepy smile, “How you feeling?”

Chan took a moment to assess, “Exhausted,” he said, his voice rough again, “still can’t feel much from my stomach and down.”

Hyunjin grimaced, “Sorry Channie.”

The leader shook his head, “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Jinnie.”

The beta looked up at him, obviously not believing and something bordering on anger in his eyes, “You always say that. Even when you’re the one hurt.”

“But it’s true. Especially this time. No one could have known this would happen, you realize that,” he tried to emphasize, knowing where this would go.

“It doesn’t stop me from being angry about it,” Hyunjin snapped, his scent souring slightly.

“You can be angry, just don’t direct it as yourself,” Chan chided.

“This is all happening because of him,” Hyunjin half snarled, “and I—”

“Hyunjin,” Chan pressed, gripping his hand as best he could to try to get him to stop.

Hyunjin didn’t look at him for a long moment, staring at their linked hands, “It’s been months, but I’m still angry, and now this?”

“I know, you can be angry. Just don’t destroy yourself over it. That’s my job,” Chan tried to joke, offering a less than convincing smile.

The beta’s sandalwood scent evened out as Hyunjin took his hand and pressed it to his face, nuzzling at his wrist. “You’re not allowed to either. Especially with you being the one in a hospital bed. I should be comforting you.”

“I’m still your leader,” Chan said firmly.

Hyunjin huffed and pressed the hand he’d taken hold of to his cheek. He closed his eyes and seemed to relax as Chan splayed out his fingers to try and comfort the younger with small strokes of his thumb over his cheek and letting what he could of his scent, which Hyunjin always said he found calming, relax the other. 

After a few long moments like that, a small giggle came from him and Chan frowned, “What?”

Hyunjin looked up, “Your scent is so much stronger now. I don’t have to focus too much for it. It’s a little different, but still good.”

“How’s it different?” Chan asked, relieved but a little anxious that his scent had changed drastically.

“It’s citrusy now, just a bit. Still mostly ocean and cedar wood, but maybe… something bright. Lemons or oranges?” Hyunjin turned his face into Chan’s wrist more and scented him quietly, examining the new smell.

It was a small thing, but it immediately made him relax to know that Hyunjin was still happy to scent him. They had all been fairly hands-off one another for several months, especially as Chan, Minho, and Changbin tried to figure out their new dynamic as the oldest three. They’d been slowly getting back to it, but it had left Chan feeling deprived. It also left a lot of questions about his own feelings towards the others. He’d always known he felt something, but he wasn’t about to endanger their new, tentative balance by tossing new feelings into the mix.

Hyunjin seemed to take note of the way Chan reacted and brought his other hand around to rub gently up and down his forearm. Trying not to focus on the very welcome sensation too much, Chan asked, “Where are the others? Why only you three?”

“Minho and Changbin have been switching off who’s dealing with the managers. Jisung’s even stepping in, especially since Changbin insisted on being in here when given the first opportunity. But Minho’s keeping the rest of the pack grounded. Mostly the hospital staff just isn’t letting any alpha in right now. They said because your body’s in such a state of flux it could cause your change to either go too long or too short. There’s no way to tell if it would be good or bad,” Hyunjin explained.

Chan grimaced, “All right, I’d still like to see them though. I would think I would need pack right now.”

“We thought so too. Like with big injuries, the security of pack helping the healing. I don’t know all the specifics of it, but they said your body is pushing between heat and neutral very rapidly to try and figure out the new balance. And having alphas or omegas around with their strong scents and pheromones could make one or the other last too long and hinder the body doing what it needs,” Hyun tried to explain, face set in concentration as he spoke.

“So that’s why betas are ok,” Chan said with a nod of understanding.

Hyunjin nodded, puffing up slightly. He had always been proud of being a beta, and being able to show traditionalists that betas were just as important as an alpha or omega was something Hyunjin found important. The dancer pressed into Chan’s hand and wrist absently as he said, “When you’re out of the biggest part of it, I think they will allow the alphas in. I don’t know how long that will be though.”

A soft mumble came from Seungmin, “You two are loud.”

The second youngest sat up from the couch and moved to the chair next to Hyunjin, “You should be resting, Channie.”

“I gotta keep up with you all a little bit,” he joked.

Seungmin snorted but let it slide, leaning on the dancer next to him. The singer reached out and rested a hand over Chan’s arm, above where Hyunjin was holding it, “You look exhausted. We’ve got you, go to back to sleep.”

“I know you do,” he said softly, and did as he was told, not having realized just how exhausted he still was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra note: I am not using Korean honorifics in this because I am not comfortable in my own understanding of when and how to use them. Perhaps in future fics that will change, but at this time they will not be included in this fic.


	3. Betrayal That’s a Blessing in Disguise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, guess what? We went on lockdown finally. I'm not saying that means I might post more than I originally thought I would... but that's exactly what I'm saying. *salutes*

Chan went in and out for a while. Different people were there at different times. His mother had been there at one point, determined and with a nurse hovering close because of her alpha subsex. He knew that eventually the rest of the group would need to go to the next performance, though apparently they were fighting it if Changbin’s angry rants were anything to go by. He’d tried to tell them to go, but the pointed glare Changbin had sent him after two words made him stop immediately. When he finally woke up in less of a haze than the other times, it was to a very sore body and soft talking, the voices easily recognizable. Jisung and Felix were talking about something. 

“Are they sure it’s okay that we’re in here? I don’t want us to set anything off for Chan…” Jisung said anxiously.

“They wouldn’t have let us in if that were the case. It’s been two days and his body has been stable for more than twelve hours. Plus, we’re pack, he’s more used to us than anyone else. The only reason they let his mother in was because she's family and if there’s any alpha that’s not going to set him off it’s a direct blood alpha,” Felix replied. 

“Got all the numbers, eh?” Jisung joked.

“I wanted to be sure…” Felix was almost petulant with his answer.

“Sure of what?” Chan asked, finally blinking open his eyes.

Both whipped around to look at Chan as he focused on them. “Shit, Chan. You’re awake,” Felix said as he reached for their leader’s hand. 

Chan gave them a lopsided grin, “Yes, I am.”

“We’re really glad to see you awake again,” Jisung said, the relief in his blueberry scent clear as he gave him a smile.

Chan tried to make his smile more reassuring as he asked, “How long was I out this time?”

“It’s been two days since you were brought in. They stopped sedating you and giving you shots about three hours ago since your body has stabilized,” Felix explained.

Chan paused at that, and tentatively tried to feel his lower extremities. He wiggled his toes together and shifted is knees, pleased to feel skin on skin and the brush of the blankets. He didn’t move too much though, because it intensified how sore he was, making him hiss softly. Jisung reached out to touch his leg but stopped uncertainly. He looked between Chan and his hand and the leader nodded. Gently, obviously terrified of hurting him, he laid his hand on Chan’s shin. He let his hand rub up and down it gently, and it helped ground Chan a little bit more, especially with how careful the alpha was being. Jisung was always afraid of hurting others despite how loud and boisterous he was. When he did cause harm, it was always unintentional and caused a lot of guilt for Jisung, especially since he'd had a hard time adjusting to being an alpha. It had been very unexpected for him and many around him. So, it'd taken a while for him to get his instincts managed.

Unless he and Changbin or Hyunjin were rough housing. Then all bets were off. Jisung lost most of the time anyway.

“Will either of you tell me what’s happened with the tour?” Chan asked hopefully.

Felix gave him a pinched look, his forest scent getting heavy for a moment, and Jisung rolled his eyes, “You just woke up from sedation and you want to know what’s been going on with the tour?”

Chan gave them a pleading look, “Please?”

Felix sighed, both of them knew he would find out one way or another, “If the nurse gets mad at me for this, I hope you’re prepared to patch me up.”

“Every time,” Chan said with a wide smile at his fellow Australian.

Jisung grumped but kept his focus on gently rubbing Chan’s muscles. It felt damn good, a little painful, but in a good way. Felix kept a hold on his hand as he spoke, “Three tour dates may be canceled," Chan grimaced, "depending on what the doctor and your mother say, but we’ll know once you get looked over. More than likely they will be."

The beta went to speak but Felix quickly cut him off, "We considered going on with seven, but the moment the managers suggested leaving you here we got a little…”

“Minho and Jeongin actually growled at our managers, Felix kept his head, but smelt like blood, I did not keep my head and went off on all of them,” Jisung elaborated.

Chan stared at them, “Wait- What? Minho growled? He never growls. Jeongin growled? Like fangs and everything?”

“Seungmin had to practically pin Jeongin back. His own reaction shook him up a bit once he realized what he was doing. I think he’s afraid of just how strongly he reacts as an alpha,” Felix continued, Jisung nodding along.

The leader let out a breath, “You guys are looking after him?”

Both nodded immediately, “Minho and Seungmin are staying close to him. Your mom was pretty smug about the reaction though, I think she knew and told the managers as much, but they didn’t listen.”

“Still… I feel bad about the cancellations,” Chan said as he started to sit up more. “It’s… really hard to believe this happened.”

Felix stood up as Chan moved, glancing between the door and Chan, but settled for helping him sit up. The two alphas helped him adjust the bed until he was sitting upright as comfortably as possible. “Well, you just woke up and you’ve talked to how many people about this?” Felix queried with a raised eyebrow.

The leader settled back with a heavy breath, “The doctor? Hyunjin?”

Both gave him a look, “You remember everything you talked about?” Jisung asked.

Chan sighed, “Yeah, I remember, and I remember what they taught us in school. I’m a drift beta. So, I get to drift between omega and beta depending on what my pack needs.”

“Yeah, about that,” Felix said tentatively, “the doctor’s seemed intrigued about us not being bonded. It’s not unheard of for a platonic pack to set off a drift betas, but it is rare. Usually the pack is at least considering bonding.”

Both were watching him closely and he did his best to keep his reaction even as something pulled in his chest and he tried to keep his mind from diving into it too much. He gave a warm laugh to try and brush it off, “We must be the rare exception.”

Jisung actually looked crestfallen, looking away from Chan. The leader’s expression faltered, and he looked to Felix. Felix had that pinched, angry look again, “Felix—”

“I don’t believe you,” he said, his voice dropping harshly.

Chan blinked widely, “Why not?”

Felix held his gaze as he reached forward and took Chan’s hand. The alpha held it firmly, seeming to be trying to gather his courage. Chan looked between the hand and Felix in confusion. He tried to pull his hand away, but Felix’s grip tightened. Jisung was looking between them, seemingly on the verge of saying something but not sure if he should. Finally, Felix said in a clear voice even if his expression wavered, “Because I am. I want our pack to be more than platonic.”

There was another long pause, Chan eyes locked on Felix in disbelief. The younger held his gaze, mouth set in a firm line as Chan tried to figure out exactly what to say or do. Before it went on too long though, Jisung broke in, “Dude, you could have warned me!”

Chan was infinity thankful to Jisung for breaking the moment between them. The leader took a shaky breath as Felix looked away and gave Jisung an apologetic look, “Sorry, I’m just… we’ve been dancing around this for how long? I understand though, not only because of him, but because we were all too young. But now? I’m done doing that, Sungie.”

“I get it, but we could have coordinated,” he scolded the younger, punched his shoulder lightly and taking his place closer to Chan.

“Oh…” Chan's voice pitched high as he glanced between them, shaken.

Jisung looked over at him and smiled lopsidedly, trying to make things light, “I agree. I want us to be more than a platonic pack.”

Chan swallowed, trying to process it, “Minho?”

“’Pack’ Chan,” came the firm response. “It’s not just about Minho. I love him, absolutely. But I love all of you. Minho’s just been the easiest to show it with.”

“I thought it would be too soon to consider with everything that’d happened and how I—” tears pricked at his eyes as his voice broke.

Jisung immediately reached up to cup his cheek and card his fingers through bits of Chan’s hair, “He doesn’t get to control this anymore.”

It shattered something in him to have that small confirmation that Woojin had been manipulating things. At some level he knew, but it just dragged something out that he’d held deep inside of him. Tears pricked at his eyes and Jisung looked panicked for a moment, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Chan had a sneaky suspicion that he’d wanted something else, but had derailed it quickly by going for his cheek. Chan reached up and gripped his arm, pressing just slightly into and letting himself scent lightly at his hair.

He wanted to ask so many questions, but exhaustion was pulling on him and it was getting harder to form thoughts and words. Felix cleared his throat and Jisung pulled back, cautiously looking at Chan. The drift beta let a shaky smile spread over his lips, hoping the alpha could see that this wasn’t bad, but he needed to process it.

“I think,” cut in his mother’s voice, “that you should be seeing if others in your pack are of the same mindset first, instead of running in head first. Also, be happy I found you. If the nurse had seen you scenting him, she’d be dragging you out by your ear.”

They all looked up to the door where Chan’s mother was standing with a barely contained grin but firm look. Felix and Jisung stood up immediately and bowed low, “Sorry ma’am.”

“Talk to your pack,” she instructed with a look that was waiting for their clear understanding.

“Shouldn’t I be in on that conversation?” Chan asked, panic trying to set in even though the exhaustion wouldn’t let it get far.

“Channie, you are still healing. Let them decide what they may want first, and then you will all discuss together." Then she turned her attention back to them, "Now, be understanding of how my son responds and what he may want when he’s out of the hospital. Am I understood?” Though it was clear there was only one answer to the question. 

The two bowed several times, repeating ‘Yes ma’am’ before she ushered them from the room. He looked to her as she turned to him with a little smug and proud smile on her face, “Well, look at you, in a hospital bed and still a casanova.”

Chan gave a breathless laugh, “I’m not sure if I should blame it on them being shaken up by me in a hospital bed or not…” He said tiredly, not looking at her.

He didn’t see her eyes narrow, but her annoyance was clear, “Christopher Bang, are you really going to dismiss their feelings and probably your own?”

“What? No! I mean—I’m not—” He stuttered, uncertain how to approach her questions as he whipped his head up to look at her.

“Then do not say something like that. It seems like they’ve been thinking about this for a while, and even though their actions are brash, like normal, I believe their intent is good,” she said, trying to draw out his more rational side.

“I just… It’s a lot all at once like this. I’m a drift beta, and now I’m finding out that maybe I let something else be manipulated by him?” Chan paused, trying to work through it.

Because it really was a lot all at once. It was a lot to go from believing your pack was purely platonic to the idea that maybe it wasn’t? It was a lot realize that maybe he really was okay with that. It really was a lot to go from thinking you are a neutral beta, to finding out in a very painful manner, that you are a drift. He felt his mother’s hand on the side of his face, thumbs wiping away tears that he didn’t know were falling. He closed his eyes tightly and leaned into her touch and the little kisses she peppered over his brow as she comforted him. “Oh Channie,” she said softly, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for this either.”

“Mom, don’t do that. No one could have known,” he said with a shaky voice, taking in her scent while he could.

She sighed and finally wrapped him in a hug, “That doesn’t stop a mother’s heart from hurting.”

They stayed like that for a few long for moments. Him simply basking in her affection and familiar scent while he tried to get his emotions back under control while she continued showering him with kisses and gentle strokes of his hair, her scent intensifying because she knew how it calmed him down. She pulled back slowly as he seemed to quiet and looked him over, “I love you, Chan. Even if all this falls through, know that we’re here for you.”

He nodded, giving her a genuine, if tired, smile. She wiped away a few final tears from his face and settled back into her chair, “You’re going to have another interesting road ahead of you. You’ve stabilized, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t going to come and go. You’re recovering, and you’re going to be for quite some time. This isn’t something you can walk off.”

Chan listened to her closely, “I know, mom. I’m sure the doctor will give me everything I need.”

“That’s not why I’m telling you this, Chan,” she said. “I know you, you’re my oldest. You’re an over-achiever, you give everything you are to everyone else, you sleep like the insomniac you are, and while you take care of yourself as often as you can, you forget just as much as you remember. And now you’ve had a physical and emotional bomb dropped on you to top it off,” she listed off, making him shrink into the bed a bit more with each point made.

Her expression softened as she closed her eyes for just a moment, as if to center herself, before continuing, “I just need you to know that this isn’t something that you can brush off easily. Your body just rearranged itself. It’s going to need a lot of time to get back to a place where you can be full stamina again. I want you to promise me you’ll rely on the other members of your pack, no matter the outcome of any feelings they may or may not have, or that you might accept. And rely on your managers. Tell them when you’re hurting, you will need to rest a lot more. Even your insomnia can’t trump utter exhaustion.”

Chan snorted, more at himself than anything else because he knew she was right about all of it. She shook his hand expectantly, getting his attention. He nodded, “I promise.”

She smiled, and he paused, a thought flickering through his mind with the understanding that his status had changed to a certain extent, “The company isn’t considering… anything?”

She paused, confused for a moment, then her scent turned cold and biting, “No, they aren’t. Your status as a drift beta that swings to omega is changing nothing, or so your managers have told me. If anything does…”

He nodded quickly, because his alpha mother’s rage was never something he liked seeing. She didn’t have trouble controlling or directing it, she was very careful about it. She did have trouble controlling her scent though, and it was often strong no matter what she did. She sighed and relaxed, “Sorry Channie. The thought of it makes me sick though. If they have any inclination of removing you from your position as leader for your drift to omega, you make sure I know. Got it?”

He nodded again, “Yes, mother.”

She relaxed further and her scent turned warm and comforting again. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Once beyond the ICU doors and all the scent barriers, Jisung turned to Felix and gripped his upper arm, “What the hell was that, Felix?!”

Felix grimaced, knowing that the older was just as panicked about his own actions as Felix’s. He wrapped an arm around Jisung tightly, not ducking his head, “We needed to do something. Chan’s going to go back to denying anything’s there otherwise. I can’t… do that. Not anymore.”

Jisung took a moment, looking away from Felix even as he leaned on him before letting out a deep breath, “I know. Chan’s a master at ignoring something when he’s afraid it will hurt someone other than himself.”

“I know the others are going to be upset, especially Changbin…” he trailed off, thinking about the beta.

“Yeah, but he’s going to be mad we just… did it. Without talking to anyone, without wooing Chan. You know how he gets with that stuff,” Jisung tried to reassure the other.

Felix could only nod. He and Changbin had been circling each other for a while. The big issue was that they both wanted it to be a pack thing, not just a them thing. Felix absolutely had a long-time crush on Chan, as did Changbin on him. They were official in some ways, but not in others. Chan knew about them, he almost always had, but had always been quiet about it at their request. The two discussed how they loved everyone in some capacity, it just needed to get to that place where they could all explore it. Felix was just afraid he’d crossed a line with blurting out his own feelings before talking to anyone else.

Jisung wrapped an arm around him in return and nudged him forward, “Gonna have to face it.”

The alpha made a face but nodded and looked to Jisung’s determined face. “Minho?” He asked.

Jisung sighed, “Yeah…”

When they got to the waiting room Felix wanted to hesitate but set his jaw and opened the door. As they stepped in, Jeongin was there immediately, “Was he awake? You smell like him when he’s trying to calm people down.”

“Yeah, he woke up. He was shaky but trying to comfort everyone. Like normal,” Jisung said, a bit irritated at the end.

Felix glanced around the room. Minho had Changbin leaning against him, probably taking comfort in his lilac scent, Hyunjin was sprawled out on his own with his phone, and Seungmin was sitting on the couch Jeongin had jumped up from. Jeongin relaxed visibly and Felix released Jisung in favor of pulling his fellow maknae-liner into a hug, letting him lean in to relieve a bit more tension. He pulled them to the couch, dropping down onto it. Seungmin moved over to them, rubbing a hand up and down Jeongin’s back. “His mom kicked us out before long though.”

Hyunjin laughed a little, “Not surprised, she’s in full protective mom mode.”

“I think it’s fair that she’s this protective,” Minho said mildly.

“It is, I can just see where Chan gets it from now,” the dancer replied with a shrug.

Jisung dropped onto the chair next to Hyunjin and sighed, “We do have to let you guys know though…”

Everyone turned to him, holding their collective breaths, “It’s nothing medical related.” He assured them, then powered on, “Felix and I made it clear that we want the pack to be more than platonic.”

There was silence for a long moment, then Hyunjin stood up, “Why?” He half shouted, pulling it back only because Minho shot him a pointed glare, “I know we’ve talked about it, but now? Of all times?”

“When then?” Felix asked, pressing Jeongin gently into Seungmin so he could stand, “He was talking like the pack would never be anything but platonic! I know we may not all be of the exact same mind on the subject, but I’m done hiding away how I feel and what I want.”

“There would have been a better time for it, Felix,” Changbin sharp voice cut through and made Felix look to him.

The beta was standing now, jaw tight and posture making it clear he was not happy. Felix tensed considerably but held his ground, “Probably, it was brash, but Changbin—”

Changbin just shook his head, the movement enough to cut Felix off. The beta moved past him, leaving the room silently as he obviously tried to contain himself for the sake of the fact that they were in a hospital. Felix deflated once the door was closed, looking down to the ground. “Felix,” Minho’s voice pulled him out of his head quickly, “get after him.”

The younger nodded and quickly turned to follow the other through the door. He barely glimpsed Minho looking to Jisung and reaching out a hand to the other alpha, beckoning him over, which Jisung went to him immediately. Felix would find out later how that went. He found Changbin marching down the corridor towards a corner of the hospital near one of the exits that led to a stairwell. “Changbin? Binnie please?” He called after him.

The nickname made Changbin turn. He stepped up to Felix, just a few inches from him and in a contained voice he snapped, “Why the hell couldn’t you have waited?”

“Because he was still acting like it would never happen,” Felix countered as he fought to keep his alpha growl in check. “We talked about how most drift betas are at least considering a bonded pack and commented that we had to be the rare exception. We were just supposed to let that keep going? Innie’s presented and of age, even he’s been asking me and Seungmin if things were going to change ever. We’re supposed to keep telling him to just wait it out?”

Changbin grit his teeth, a hand scrubbing through his hair, “He’s in the hospital, Felix. He’s had a big enough bomb dropped on him. If he’s still that goddamn deep in denial, did he really need another right this goddamn second?”

“No, maybe not. But there’s never a right time. Even if it’s just me and Jisung, I had to start something,” Felix wanted Changbin to understand desperately.

His chest hurt at the thought that Changbin wouldn’t forgive him, but he wouldn’t take back what he’d said. He wasn’t going to let Chan think for a second longer that this was just a platonic pack. The beta took a deep breath, “I just wanted it to be something we did together.”

Felix didn’t hesitate to pull the smaller into a hug, wrapping around him tightly and repeating, “I’m sorry,” several times.

Changbin slowly melted into the alpha, bringing his arms up around Felix’s waist. A small sniffle was heard, and Felix held him tighter, trying to offer him every ounce of comfort and apology he possibly could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hunkers down for the long haul*


	4. Secrets for You and Them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not know the names of any of Skz's managers and couldn't really find any, so I just rolled with whatever *shrug*
> 
> Also, this is extra long. Not sorry, enjoy!

Chan went in and out of sleep for the rest of the day. If one of the nurses or doctors weren't there, then sometimes his mother was, and other times one of his packmates were there. It was a bit disorienting to fall asleep so easily though, especially since sleep had never come easily to him. The doctor assured him it was normal and very good, his body needed as much of it as possible. If he ever did have trouble though, she’d be ready with a sedative. Dr. Rossi made it very clear that he had to rest whenever she could, otherwise his body would not be able to drift properly in the future as it needed to. He had a feeling that multiple someones had mentioned his pen-chance for not sleeping or resting to her.

She had also brought up the issue of things like birth control and physical therapy for the next month or two. His mother had a stack of pamphlets waiting for him on the former and their manager was coordinating the latter. 

It was toward the end of the fourth day in the hospital and they were talking about what the press had been told. Since Chan had been out for most of it, they wouldn’t let him anywhere near an electronic device until Juwon had talked through everything with him. Chan was ready for a very long-winded conversation. 

“All right, what does the media know?” Chan asked as he re-situated himself on the bed and ignored the way his muscles protested the movement.

Juwon pulled something up on his laptop, “We issued a general health statement. We were vague per your mother’s wishes and have asked the fans and media to mind your privacy while you recover. But there’s no way we could keep this sort of thing secret for too long. We were thinking in about another two days, when it’s clear there’s no other complications, then we would be able to release a full statement.”

“A vague statement leaves a lot of room for speculation. What has been running around?” He asked curiously.

“The gambit. Everything from the truth, because some fans still terrify even me with their stalking or their intuitiveness, all the way to suicide attempts. The ones too close to the truth are being investigated to make sure we don’t have any more staff out of line,” Juwon recited.

Chan grimaced, “All right, suicide though?”

“We know, Chan. It is just speculation though,” he reassured the younger. “We want to go with a simple statement from you. No bells or whistles, nothing to make this a huge production. The bigger we make it, the more everyone else will try to focus on it. The traditional parties are going to try to attack this anyway, so there’s no need to sensationalize it. Once you’ve made your statement, we’ll route everything else through the normal channels and be… mindful of promotions with content that could potentially target you for your drift to omega.”

Chan sighed, remembering how the company had progressed over time to accommodate a more mindful stance when it came to those of their artists that were considered ‘easy targets’. There were still plenty of ways to improve, but they were lightyears from just five years ago even. It hadn’t been an easy road, but it had been better than some companies where artists still struggled with favoritism among subsexs. The leader nodded, “I can start writing today.”

Juwon hummed in agreement, then paused, “Another thing. A few of your friends outside the company have been in contact. Jaime, Somi, Yuto, and a few others. We didn’t tell them anything. It’s up to you who you want to hear from you and who you think it’s okay to hear about it through the media. I just told them that you were going to be fine, it would just be a long recovery,” the manager explained as he pulled out Chan’s laptop and phone, pushing both towards him.

He nodded and let out a sigh of relief as he pulled the electronics to him, “Oh thank god, I’ve been going stir crazy with nothing to occupy me.”

Juwon laughed, “You’re still here another three days—”

“What?!” Chan said incredulously.

His exclamation was met with a bland look from his manager, “Yes, Chan. Three more days at least. Just over a week. You’ll be going through some tests soon to see just how affected you are. Some people have had nerve damage because of this. We’re not taking any chances. The next three shows have been canceled because your pack is very attached, but we are looking at rescheduling.”

The very idea of nerve damage made any protests about the tour die in his throat. Sure, he felt like he could stand, but he hadn’t tried. Well, he had tried, but the nurses were watching him like hawks and had scolded him almost instantly for the attempt. Juwon sighed and gripped Chan’s shoulder, “Write up the letter and then get some creativity out of your system. Minho will be up to see you soon. The rest of the group is back at the hotel.”

Chan leaned back and nodded, unable to do much else. He was excited to finally see Minho though. He knew that Minho and Changbin were doing their best to lead the rest of the pack with Chan stuck in a hospital bed, but that didn’t mean Chan hadn’t missed Minho’s fresh lilac scent nor that he wasn't worried about the others and how chaotic they got. It had been hard enough adjusting to Woojin no longer being a part of it all, now this? With not much else to discuss, Juwon provided him with the official statements they had been using before he left, and Chan started writing. When the door opened next, he relaxed at the alpha’s familiar scent and closed his laptop, “Hey, Minho.”

Minho looked up at him as he closed the door and Chan smiled at the younger, watching relief move through the alpha. The dancer dropped into the chair beside Chan’s bed where Juwon had been and scooted closer, Chan immediately reached out for him. “Hey,” Minho said, his voice tired as he took Chan’s hand. 

Chan looked at him in concern, letting go of the strong grip and moving instead up to press his hand over Minho’s cheek and then stroke back into his hair. “I’m okay," Chan tried to assure him.

“I know, it’s just different seeing you,” the other said as he shifted closer and leaned into the touch. “I’ve wanted to see you sooner, I swear, but with the company breathing down our necks about the tour dates we’re losing and—”

“Whoa, hold up, Minho. I know, I’m sorry I left yo—”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Minho quickly cut in.

He reached up to cover Chan’s hand, leaning into it with closed eyes, “Don’t feel guilty about this. Changbin has the company now and I have the pack. We got it covered, though I still don’t envy you your role as leader.” He laughed softly, looking back over at the older, “I’m just venting a little. You need to rest, but I wanted to see you with my own eyes, touch you like the others have been able to.”

“All right,” Chan said quietly, “as much as you need to.”

The younger snorted, “Not if the nurses have anything to say. Visiting hours are ending soon and I’ll have to go back to the hotel as well. The company isn’t happy about it, but we’re not leaving you. Even if we could manage it, we’d probably just be worrying about you the whole time and mess everything up.”

“I’m not dying,” Chan chided with a chuckle.

“No, but you had to endure something most never will. We want to make that transition easier. Especially with Felix and Jisung being… forward. They should have waited.”

“Minho, just because they started something doesn’t mean any of you need to as well,” he said, not wanting any of his pack to feel pressured into anything just because Jisung and Felix felt a certain way.

Minho's eyes narrowed at him intently, “We know that. I think all of us have just been waiting for you to get it, Chan. I’m telling you now that I feel the same as Felix and Jisung. I won’t speak for the others; they can do that themselves. But I doubt the answer will be different.”

Chan swallowed hard. Minho was usually pretty good at reading the others, even if he didn’t always respond in a traditionally empathetic way. It made Chan’s mind wander back to Felix’s words and he wondered just how long this had been going on. Was he really that blind to it this entire time?

“Is it something you would want?” Minho asked.

That made Chan pause, and he focused back on Minho with a thoughtful expression. “I’m not sure,” he said honestly. “I’m figuring that out. I never really allowed myself the possibility, even if I may have wanted it. I think I do, but I need a little more time. I was… made to believe it wasn’t a possibility.”

They both got quiet for a long moment, both working out how they wanted to address the elephant in the room. Finally, Minho spoke, “I understand you need to process it. We’ll respect your decision. But most of what he said and did was a lie.”

Chan nodded, looking down as a mix of frustration and anger twisted his stomach. This time Minho reached out and tipped his chin up to look back at the alpha, “Don’t blame yourself. Not anymore. We’ve worked through this, please don’t go backwards.”

“I’m not,” the drift beta replied, “but I have to rethink some things. And make sure that what I’m feeling is mine and not anything else, okay?”

A little something that could only be relief drained the tension out of Minho’s shoulders as his let his hand drop and nodded, ducking his head slightly and almost hiding in Chan’s hand that he still held in front of him. Chan closed his eyes a moment before talking again, “I know I love you all, I do. But I need to make sure it can be the type of love you want first.”

The alpha nodded again, “All right, I understand.” He took a deep breath and raised his head, “I’ll talk to the others. Changbin’s pretty angry at Felix but he seems to have calmed down. I have a feeling that Jisung is planning to be as corny as hell about wooing you. Or he’ll just dive straight in, who knows?”

Chan groaned, “Please tell me you can curb them a bit.”

“Not this time,” Minho said with a small laugh. 

The dancer gripped the hand he still held, his smile turning mischievous. Chan’s eyes narrowed, “Minho…”

The dancer didn’t say anything, instead he changed the subject, “You smell really good.”

The leader pressed his lips tightly together but let it go, “In a good way?”

The other hummed, “Yeah, I mean, before you had a nice scent, but it was always really mild. Sometimes even hard to pick out. It’s much more amplified now. Still ocean and cedar wood, but something a bit citrusy too. That’s new, but I’m not sure if it’s new because of the change or if it’s just because you were so mild before.”

“I still don’t really smell it, but I’m told that’s part of being a drift beta. We don’t pick up on our own scents that much, we’re neutralized to it. But everyone else can pick up on us easily. You’re all going to have to help me figure out how to gauge it,” he explained.

Minho nodded, pulling the other’s hand a bit closer so he could nuzzle at Chan’s wrist, “We can do that. You’re fine right now, I really like it.”

“I can tell,” Chan laughed.

The door opened a second later, making Minho pull back from Chan’s wrist as the nurse peered in with a narrowed look, “Sorry, Mr. Lee, but visiting hours for non-family members are over.”

He nodded and turned to Chan, “See you in the morning,” giving him a smile filled with secrets as he stood to leave.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Jeongin lay across Hyunjin as they cuddled in the middle of one of the beds in their shared room. Seungmin would be there soon, he’d only left to go get a few things from his own room, but maybe the entire pack later. He hoped. He really wanted as many of them there as possible. It calmed down that alpha instinct him that screamed to protect his pack even though there was nothing he could do. However, Changbin and Felix seemed particularly attached to one another since the fight and Minho and Jisung were talking in low tones the entire time they’d been at the hospital. 

He didn’t like how weirdly detached they felt. Hyunjin shifted beneath him and he whimpered unconsciously, making the beta still, “Innie? What’s wrong?”

Jeongin frowned, huffing, “Instincts are all off.”

Jeongin had had plenty of education classes about instincts, more specifically subsex instincts. They were the more primal part of a person that handled things like intuition, fight or flight response, and much more. It also tied to the need for pack, comfort, marks of intent, mating bites, heats and ruts. Usually it was easy to tell with an alpha or omega when their instinct were getting the better of them; their pupils would go large and fangs often come out. Betas it was harder to tell, but they still did. Growling and purring were also things tied to subsex instincts but could be used for a variety of reasons. These were all limited before presentation though. Once presented though, they all went a bit haywire for a while as the person tried to figure out how to handle them, and right now Jeongin hated his.

Hyunjin pulled him closer and his sandalwood scent deepened, taking on a warm, almost nutty tone. Jeongin burrowed closer, loving the way his scent changed when he was being comforting and how it quelled the needed to do something that stuck in his chest. “That better?” the older asked.

Jeongin nodded, “Thank you.” He let himself bask in the comfort a moment more, before asking, “Do you think Chan doesn’t want to be in a bonded pack?”

“Maybe? The only one that’s really talked to him about it at any length is Minho and he said he needs some time. I don’t think that means he doesn’t, but he needs to think about it,” Hyunjin tried to reassure him.

“What… if he doesn’t because of something Woojin did?” Jeongin said quietly.

Hyunjin rubbed his hands up and down Jeongin’s back, “If Woojin did something more than we already know, I’m going to help Seungmin beat the fuck out of him. I don’t think that’s it though. We’ve all been trying to change the communication aspect of our pack since he left. I’d like to think we’re doing a lot better.”

“I do too, I’m just afraid,” he murmured while curling closer to the beta, if that was possible.

The door opened behind them and while Jeongin didn’t look up, he knew it was Seungmin by the waft of apples and cinnamon that tickled at his nose. Things dropped at the foot of the bed and then Seungmin was boxing them in and dropping down on top of both him and Hyunjin. He sighed and relaxed into their combined efforts to ease his fears. It worked, but he needed to ask, “We all want this right? To be a bonded pack?”

He looked up at each of them, hopeful but full of trepidation that one of them would say otherwise. Seungmin was the one to speak first, even though there was a little confusion in his voice. “I think we all do, Innie,” the singer said, “there’s a lot going on right now, so we all need to sit down and discuss more with Chan. We’ll figure it out though, none of us are going anywhere.”

A bit more tension left him. “Okay,” he said, trying to have as much faith as possible that they were right. 

There was another sound of the door opening and Minho sighing was heard, “You couldn’t have at least pushed the beds together?”

Hyunjin looked up and smiled as the rest of the pack came into the room, “We were busy,” then went back to snuggling into Jeongin’s hair, making the youngest laugh.

Minho huffed, then climbed over the three of them and lay across them with an exaggerated sigh, “So comfy!”

Laughter rang out as the oldest alpha aggressively cuddled the three and Jisung, Changbin, and Felix all piled on the other bed. When Minho was done making the first three squeal, he lay out to one side and looked over them all with a satisfied grin. Both Jisung and Felix had wrapped themselves around Changbin while Minho and the others had played around, the beta quietly basking in the attention.

“We do need to talk more though. Especially to make sure we’re all on the same page,” Changbin started, reluctantly partially extracting himself from the two alphas.

He couldn’t get too far though, both sitting up and wrapping arms around him from behind and the side. Minho, seeming to take the queue from the rapper, sat up as well and they began to re-situate. Seungmin sat up and leaned against Minho while Hyunjin settled back against the headboard. Jeongin simply shifted to laying in Hyunjin’s lap, his head against the beta’s stomach.

“We all want this to be a bonded pack, right?” Changbin said bluntly.

Everyone nodded, but Changbin shook his head, “I want to hear clear confirmation from all of you.”

He looked at each of them in turn, receiving a clear statement in one way or another, that ‘yes’ they wanted this to be a bonded pack. He seemed to sigh in relief once they were each confirmed, “So it’s just a matter of making sure Chan is onboard.”

“Even if he isn’t,” Minho cut in, “that doesn’t mean that we can’t still make it work as a group, as musicians and friends. We can still explore this, and he can still be our leader and group mate. Understood?”

They all nodded in agreement. “So,” Hyunjin prompted, “what’s next?”

“Well, we hold off for now. Chan is still getting back on his feet. That’s going to take time. We can do some exploring between us but keep it above the belt and no marks of intent. Got it?” Minho said firmly.

They all nodded again, then Felix murmured, “Fucking finally,” and pulled Changbin back with surprising strength and had him pinned to the bed and in a lip lock a second later.

Jisung flailed, all but pushed to the side as Felix ravished Changbin for another moment. When he pulled back, licking his lips along the way, he locked onto Jisung. The other alpha stuttered as Felix crawled over a still stunned Changbin, towards the other rapper. His gaze said he was prepared to do a lot more than just kiss. Minho picked up a pillow and threw it at Felix, nailing him in the head, “Above the belt!”

~~~/~~~/~~~

“ _Dammit, Channie. We're glad you’re all right_ ,” BamBam said through the phone.

Chan had been calling the people he was closest with, telling them what was going on, while his mother had been calling close family. He had the entirety of GOT7 on speaker phone now, but BamBam and Yugyeom were closest at the moment. He blew out a breath, “Yeah, me too. I’m still stuck in bed, but the physical therapist will be by soon to evaluate my range of movement and stamina.”

“ _You’ve got to be going stir-crazy, knowing you. Did they at least give you your laptop?_ ” Yugyeom asked with a small, relieved laughed.

“Yeah, I wrote up a statement and PR is looking it over. Then I can focus on healing and getting back out there,” he groaned at the idea of being stuck in the hospital any longer than he had to be.

“ _Hey, don’t be over eager. You know damn well we’ll all be as mad as your pack if you push yourself after this. And stop pouting_ ,” BamBam chided, the omega sighing at the fact he had to remind the younger.

Chan pulled in his lower lip, “How do you always know? Also, you’re one to talk.”

“ _You’re an easy read Channie_ ,” BamBam teased while he could hear Jaebeom snort in the background. 

“ _Really though_ ,” Yugyeom continued, “ _let your body heal. Let your pack help you. Hell knows we have to practically beat it into Jaebeom’s head half the time._ ” A sound of protest and laughter in the background, “ _I can’t imagine what it takes with you_ ,” the last part came out as a low grumble beneath the commotion of the others.

“It seems to be a trait of leaders,” the beta tried to explain it.

“ _Yeah, a bad one_ ,” then another sigh.

“ _How’s your pack handling this?_ ” Jaebeom asked, diverting the conversation slightly.

That made Chan pause, “Umm, interestingly? Apparently, bonding is a thing now?”

He said it as a question because he was still unsure how to process it, much less respond.

There was a strange pause where the other side of the line got eerily quiet. Chan swallowed nervously but was saved from having to say anything more when BamBam finally spoke, “ _Please tell me it’s not because you drift to omega now?_ ”

That put a raw pit in his stomach, “No, Felix, Jisung, and Minho are the only ones that have talked to me about it, but they’ve all said they were considering it for a while. They just didn’t want to keep waiting with me still rather, umm... unbelieving?”

There was another pause, “ _Goddamn, their timing is terrible…_ ” Jackson murmured in the background.

“You’re not convinced,” Chan said with a frown.

“ _We don’t want to think badly of any of them, you know we adore them just as much as you do. But we’ve seen it happen so many times where someone presents as an omega and suddenly everyone’s showering them in attention just to get an omega in the pack. We just don’t want to see you hurt by this_ ,” Youngjae said, his voice pleading.

“I don’t think it is. None of them are like that and with everything with Woojin and then Jeongin presenting just after, there wouldn’t have been time for it,” he tried to explain to them.

“ _Chan, you’re one of my best friends_ ,” Yugyeom stepped in, “ _and I know you’ve worked hard to better yourself, but you’re not perfect. You were all hurt by what Woojin did, but you’ve been crushing on Jisung since you both had that stupid three-day fight, and don’t get me started with Minho and Changbin. I could go on for each of the members, but I don’t have time for that shit. You need to talk with them about it, and don’t base your answer off what anyone else said_ ,” the youngest beta pointed out.

Chan let out a breath, “Stop sounding like an old man.”

Yugyeom snorted, “ _I’m your senior dammit_.”

“And I’m still older than you,” he shot back. “Besides, I really don’t feel like it’s that. The conversation that led to them telling me… It was the look on their faces. Plus, you guys know how all over the place we were while trying to figure out the new pack dynamics. We’ve all been working hard to find our center again.”

“ _We know_ ,” Mark said, “ _that’s part of what triggered Jisung’s breakdown, wasn’t it?_ ”

He grimaced at the reminder, “Yeah, it was. But there were a lot of factors to that.”

“ _So, talk to them. Make sure you all know where you each stand_ ,” Jaebeom reiterated. “ _Of all people that should know the importance of that, it’s us_.”

Chan sighed, “Fuck.”

BamBam laughed, “ _You’ll all get there. It’ll be interesting to see what everyone does for marks of intent..._ ”

That put a blush on his cheeks, “Bammie…”

The omega laughed, “ _Oh, Channie_ ,” he sang out, “ _you’re blushing, aren’t you? I wonder if you still blush so pretty when_ —” BamBam was cut off by a yelp.

More than likely Jaebeom or Jinyoung had thrown a pillow or something at him. GOT7’s own status as a bonded pack was relatively new, only just under a year bonded and a few months of dating with marks of intent. Before that they were a mess and Chan was occasionally in the middle of it, having messed around a number of times with different members of the pack as they were still his closest friends and almost-pack for years still. Once the scuffle on the other end of the line died down BamBam’s laughter continued through the phone and Chan hid his face in his free hand, “I hate you so much.”

“ _No, you don’t_ ,” he practically sang, the rest of the group making exasperated or endearing sounds, only Yugyeom laughing with him.

Chan couldn’t help smiling along with them as he finally said, “I should really go though. I have a few people I still need to call,” Chan said, sobering a bit since he knew he was going to get tired again soon.

A hum came through the phone, “ _All right, be careful with yourself, Channie. And tell us if you need anything_.”

“I will, promise,” a chorus of goodbyes sounded, and they hung up quickly after that, leaving Chan sigh.

They were right, he did love every last one of his pack. It would take some time to settle into the understanding and make sure it was all love beyond that of the platonic type. But something told him it wouldn’t be as hard as he might believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I would like to write some smut please.  
> Brain: Oh sure, here you go *hands me a thing*  
> Me: ...this...this isn't smut.  
> Brain: Oh, whoops! *puts on party shades and sips whiskey out of a red solo cup*  
> Me: ........ Fuck.
> 
> PS: So, I can't promise who will fuck Chan first, I've already got that outlined in my head. If y'all comment some preferences, I'll try building an order based around who y'all want?
> 
> It won't be exactly based on votes or anything like that, because I want the story to still move and flow correctly, but I can try!


	5. Now Live How You Want To

Chan leaned against Changbin as they both sat on the edge of the hospital bed. He was up, though moving was still questionable, but about a day out from discharge. The doctors had spent the morning monitoring his heart and running tests on most of his abdomen to make sure everything was settling in correctly. Then his mother had had to return to Australia, but only after giving a stern talk to his pack and managers. Juwon still looked frazzled. 

Most of the group had left with his mother to see her off since he couldn’t. Changbin and Felix had stayed to help with his physical therapy and get a bunch of packets that showed the exercises he should be doing daily. Felix was in the hall talking to the nurses, he could see him through the windows nodding quickly as he held a stack of papers. Chan still remembered the doctor’s lecture to him:

_“…keep that healthy diet, and the vitamins we gave you. It will help keep your body as even as possible for the time being. Do the exercises the physical therapist showed you regularly, I know some of them are twice a day, and remember your limitations. No running, no heavy lifting, except lifting yourself out of the chair for the first few days, no sex,” Dr. Rossi said without preamble._

_He choked slightly as she said the last one, “I-I-wai-wha—”_

_“No sex. Keep it above the belt until physical therapy says otherwise,” she repeated, unphased._

_He had to stop himself from denying it, face and ears probably red as he managed in a voice pitched a bit too high, “Okay.”_

_“Marks of intent are fine, but not mating bites. Your body isn’t ready to go through that yet. The marks… Again, just keep it PG-13 at most,” She elaborated, serious expression unchanged._

_He swallowed down the shock at her candidness and said, “Okay, will do.”_

The entire pack had been educated on what he should and shouldn’t be doing, much to his embarrassment, and they were apparently ‘taking it very seriously’, Dr. Rossi had said proudly. If their involvement in this last therapy session was anything to go by, then she was telling the truth. 

Chan glanced at the wheelchair that he was learning to use. He wouldn’t need it for too long, perhaps two to three weeks, but he was going to be sitting through performances for a while. Even after he was out of the wheelchair, he still wouldn’t be up to par to do any of the dancing until his physical therapy was done, but he could at least be on stage with everyone and there to sing for Stays. 

Changbin nudged him slightly, “It’s only temporary. You’ll be back up and running as fast as you can in no time, so stop staring at that chair like it’s a death sentence.”

A grimace passed over Chan’s features, “I know, it’s just hard to keep that in mind. Especially with how everyone’s freaking out about me being a drift beta.”

They posted his statement along with one from the company and their CEO, Park Jinyoung, earlier that day. Chan had been preoccupied with the tests, but he planned to stay away from social media for a while longer. Their PR was still in a frenzy about some traditionalists that were coming at them, but Juwon refused to tell him specifics yet, and the rest of his pack were doing the same. At least Felix had said there were already some good memes, so that was heartening. Changbin reached up to rub his back, “They’ll get over it. The sensation will die down and you’ll go back to just being Chan; an idiot Australian that somehow wrangles seven hyperactive three-year-olds into doing music and dance.”

Chan choked on a laugh, wincing as it pulled his still tender stomach muscles, making him bend forward for a moment before straightening up, “So, you’ve gone from two-year-olds to three-year-olds?”

“Hey, give us at least a little credit. Though I’d call myself more of a six-year-old,” Changbin said thoughtfully.

“If anything, you’re still a two-year-old, Binnie,” Chan shot back, shaking his head.

The rapper shrugged it off and leaned close to Chan, “Either way, the world will move on, and you’ll still be Chan.”

The leader smiled thankfully to the other beta and turned, coming nose to nose with Changbin. He stopped, not having known he was that close and watched the smaller closely. They hadn’t heavily discussed the proposed change to a bonded pack. Minho had told him once he was out of the hospital, they would all discuss it more. But Jisung had shown up with flowers every day since and Felix and Jeongin were sneaking him chocolates while Minho was definitely more tactile than normal. Chan watched as Changbin licked his lips and asked, “I know this is… sudden. But can I?”

“Can you…?” Chan asked, an eyebrow raised.

Changbin shot him a glare, “Can I kiss you?”

Chan had thought a lot on the prospect of moving to a bonded pack, of the entire pack dating and the intimacy that came with that. And as the thought settled into place, it had felt right. They had been heading that way for a while despite other influences, and Chan was all right with that. He liked it and wanted it. It still turned everything on its head for him, but he wasn’t going to shy away now that he’d finally started figuring it out. So, he nodded, “You can.” 

Changbin leaned forward and let their lips brush, something small and gentle, and generally romantic. It was just like Changbin to seem like the one to pin a person to a bed, only to have him be sweet and gentle instead. Changbin brought a hand up to cup Chan’s face and he leaned into the hold, letting Changbin pull him closer. Their lips pressed more firmly together and when a questing tongue pressed over his bottom lip, Chan allowed them to part— 

“Oh, come on!” Came a familiar, Australian accented voice.

Chan pulled away in surprise and turned to find a pouting Felix in the doorway. Changbin chuckled lowly, “Payback for that surprise kiss the other night.”

Felix grumbled and moved to sit on the other side of Chan, “You liked it, there’s nothing to payback.”

Changbin went to answer but Chan held up a hand between them, effectively stopping them from ramping up their argument. “First of all, everyone talked through this?” He asked, giving Felix a pointed look.

“Yes,” Changbin answered, Felix nodding along. “We talked it over the night after Felix and Jisung first confessed. We all want to move to something more.”

“Do you?” Felix asked their leader.

“I did just kiss Changbin,” Chan pointed out.

The alpha gave him a narrowed look and Chan sighed, because he would have done the same thing, “Yes, Felix, I do want this. I just needed time to make sure. I didn’t want to say yes quickly and then realize it was not what I actually wanted later on.”

The two sighed in relief beside him and Changbin piped in, “Good, because Jisung’s going crazy with buying people flowers, what you got were just a few of the many he’s bought. We’ve caught Seungmin and Jeongin making out in every corner of the hospital. I think Hyunjin’s planned at least fifty different dates we can go on. And Minho can’t decide if he wants to be an ‘angry cat tsundere’, as Felix puts it, or completely soft for everyone.”

Chan burst into giggles at the descriptions Changbin gave, Felix doing similar. It hurt to laugh so hard, but it was worth it as he leaned forward between the two, gripping his middle and loving that it felt like they were whole again. He’d missed how candid and completely off the wall his pack mates were. He let Felix wrap an arm around him and Changbin leaned against his other side, Chan wrapping an arm around each of them, “I missed you guys so much.”

They stayed like that for a little while, just enjoying each other’s presence, before Chan nudged each of them, “Come on, I have to get into that wheelchair and deal with it. The managers will be here soon, and the rest of the group will be back from seeing my mom off soon.”

Felix moved over to the wheelchair and pulled it close for Chan. The drift beta wrapped an arm around Changbin and the rapper helped him up. His legs protested, making him wince and not allowing him to stand up fully straight, but enough that he could get into the wheelchair. He sighed in relief as he settled in and checked over that it was setup correctly. 

Felix moved behind the chair, but Chan waved him off, instead pushing himself to the door and opening it. He moved out into the hall with Changbin and Felix trailing behind him. A nurse peered out of one of the stations, “Don’t do too much,” she called, “you are still going to tire very easily!”

“Yes ma’am,” they all responded. 

Chan tried to see just what muscles he used as he pushed himself along. It definitely hit his core, not badly though. He could mostly use his arms for the momentum. He continued down the hall, turning and shifting the chair to figure out how to navigate with it, until he finally sat back with a sigh and murmured to himself, “Only for a few weeks.”

He swallowed down the frustration as Felix’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and a kiss was placed on his cheek, “We’ll help you through all of it. Promise.”

Changbin’s hand wrapped in Chan's and he squeezed it in return. He could do this. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

Getting the last few things they needed for release from the hospital and then actually getting from the hospital to the airport had been its own ordeal. Not too many people were at the hospital, security was tight and anyone hanging around was told to leave. The airport was another issue entirely. It’d taken a while to get out of the vans and through the airport. Minho had insisted on pushing Chan, while the rest of the group and managers had walked protectively around him, the sharp tang of so many from each subsex (there were plenty of omegas on their staff) in a heightened state of protectiveness kept most at a respectful distance. Any that did try otherwise, were quickly corrected by security and low growls from the managers up front before anything drastic happened. 

The entire process had been hard to swallow. He was so used to being the capable one, that being taken care of was something he had little idea how to handle anymore. Maybe a few years ago that would have been different, especially during his time with GOT7, but now he was going to have to learn how to handle that from his pack. At least for the time being. Jisung had gripped his hand the entire way through the airport though, and as they were leaving security he went directly back to Chan and took his hand again. 

It was comforting and eased something in his chest that had still been twisted tight, knowing Jisung still needed him. He looked up at the alpha, squeezing his hand, and got a squeeze and a nervous smile in return. “How we looking?” Chan asked.

“Not bad, we have about an hour until boarding,” Jisung said as Minho came up behind Chan again and they waited for the others to get through security.

Minho leaned over him slightly, “You feeling all right?”

“Yeah, just a bit vulnerable,” he admitted.

A small wave of that sharp protective scent came from the two alphas and he chuckled, “Stop you two, it’s not because you aren’t doing well keeping me safe. It’s just hard going from being completely capable, to being stuck in a wheelchair.”

Jisung made a little unhappy sound, but their scents calmed back down. “It’s only for a little while,” Jisung repeated, “maybe you’ll actually sleep like a normal person now. You slept so much in the hospital I think you were making up for all the lost sleep over the last few years.”

Chan snorted, “Don’t know about that, but I’m certainly tired already. Not exhausted though.”

A hand came up and carded through his hair. He looked up curiously to Minho and just got one of his lopsided smiles. Chan let it be and leaned into the hand as it stroked through his curly hair, humming agreeably. Minho laughed behind him and Chan shifted to look up at the other alpha again, resting his head against Minho’s stomach. He knew full well that they were in public, but he really didn’t care at that moment. If what Changbin had said was true, then this sort of thing would become normal. Minho gave him a surprised look, but it turned warm, almost shy a moment later. 

It didn’t last long though, as the others getting through security made him pull his attention back around and he looked to Seungmin as the singer stepped up to them, smile firmly in place as he looked between the three then focused on Chan and Jisung, “You two doing ok?”

“I’m fine,” Chan said before looking to Jisung, who shrugged.

Seungmin wrapped an arm around Jisung comfortingly, placing himself between the nervous alpha and the narrow window that people could still see them through security at. Once everyone was through, they were rolling to the VIP lounges to relax before boarding started. The lounge was blessedly empty for the time of day, and their group took up a corner far away from the door quickly. They all settled in; Chan next to a table but somehow in the middle of all of them.

“How’s everyone doing?” He asked, looking them each over.

“We should be asking you that,” Changbin said with a huff.

“I’m still your leader, I’m going to check on you,” he lightly scolded him.

They seemed to accept that, and each affirmed they were fine. Even Jisung said he was after a moment of thought and burrowing closer to Seungmin. “So, we only have the LA tour date left?” He continued.

They nodded, “Yes, then you, Changbin, and Jisung are still slated to stay in LA for music production and we’ll head back to South Korea,” Changbin confirmed, and Minho bristled slightly.

Hyunjin put a comforting hand on his back and the older dancer huffed out a breath, “I know, I just don’t like us being split when you are still recovering,” and Minho looked to their leader.

“It will only be a few days,” Chan tried to reassure him. 

He seemed about ready to stew in his displeasure, when Hyunjin piped up, “Should we talk about the whole pack thing? I know we can’t on the plane ride and I’m…” He paused, trying to figure out the best words, “If we can avoid waiting longer, I want to. We’ve already been putting it off and it took Chan in the hospital for us to actually do something…” He trailed off, frustration clear.

Chan glanced around, “I think we can, quietly, in case someone else comes in.” The others nodded in agreement, “All right, well, Changbin said that you’d all talked about wanting to become a bonded pack. You all want to explore that? See if it’d be good for us? You don’t want it just because I drift now?”

The others looked surprised at the last one, “Why would you ask that?” Changbin asked with a narrowed look.

“It’s been alluded to,” Chan admitted. “I’ve argued that none of you would do that. But I think it’s fair that you should know what it looks like with us considering this is right after we all learned that I drift. Besides, I’ve had enough surprises for a while.”

“We wouldn’t do that to you, Chan,” Felix affirmed. “It’s fine if others think that, but I know me and Changbin have been talking about it since we first got together.”

Jeongin held up his hand, “I’ve talked about it too, with Jisung and Seungmin.”

Chan let out a small breath he’d been holding, “Thank you for that. We just need to be prepared for the people that won’t believe it, no matter what any of us say.”

There was a mixture of agreement through them. “What about you, Chan? Is this what you want?” Hyunjin asked.

“Yes, it is. I hadn’t really examined our pack that way before but… We’ve been heading there regardless, haven’t we?” He asked.

“Yes,” Felix spoke up, “with everything that happened, we didn’t want to bring it up too quickly.”

“And then my body went and made the decision for us?” He filled in.

Agreement ran through the pack and Chan sighed, “Then how do we want to do this? Dates and marks of intent? Or just marks of intent right off the bat? We’re already so close.”

“Your mother might kill us if we don’t date in some way,” Seungmin pointed out.

“Not to mention PD-nim, and all of GOT7, Jimin, Twice, 2PM, half the trainees, if not all…” Jeongin listed off.

Chan frowned in confusion, “Why would they be mad? 2PM? Minjun and them?” 

He knew perfectly well why GOT7, Jaime, and a few others would, they’d spelled it out when he’d called them from the hospital. But had they already made good on their promises? And the others?

“Channie,” Changbin sighed, “I don’t think you know how protective they all are of you. Sure, it’s partly for us and to make sure we’re treating each other right. But you? You trained with all of them, 2PM mentored you when you were with GOT7, and apart from Yugyeom you’re the youngest of them. They get really protective.”

Chan gave them all a narrowed look, “Have they done anything already?”

“Um…” Hyunjin started tentatively.

Chan crossed his arms and waited for them to continue. “Jaebeom…may have alluded to giving us a talk after we got back from tour,” Hyunjin finally filled in.

“PD-nim has always been very mindful of the status of our pack.” Minho added, “when Woojin was removed, he also mentioned not wanting to need to give me a ‘proper talk about how to handle a bonded pack’.”

Chan cringed and closed his eyes, “That was very traditionalist of him.”

“He’s forward thinking, but he’s still a product of his generation in a lot of ways,” Seungmin pointed out.

They all nodded, “All right, don’t tell me what our 2PM seniors did, and to hell with all of that.” Chan grumbled, “What do you all want to do?”

“I want to date,” Jisung spoke up, “whether we give marks of intent now or later, I want dates.”

Changbin chuckled, rubbing a hand over the younger rapper’s thigh, “You’ll get all the dates you want, Jisungie.”

Jisung pouted, “Even movies and romantic walks on the beach?”

They burst into laughter, but Changbin nodded, “Yes, yes, even those.”

Jisung looked satisfied at that, smiling wide enough that his eyes were sparkling. Minho continued once Jisung was clearly happy, “Marks of intent are usually meant for after you’ve gotten to know someone and are comfortable with them in a romantic sense. Do we agree we’re all past that stage?”

Chan paused, thinking and trying to make sure he was. Apparently, he’d taken a bit too long though, as Minho called, “Chan? Are you?”

He smiled thoughtfully, “Sorry, it’s a bit newer to me than it is to all you.”

“We can wait to mark you,” Jeongin suggested. “We’re all comfortable with it, but if you need a little bit more time to let it settle first, we can mark you when you’re ready.”

Chan nodded, “I think I may need that. Just a little more time with the idea. Maybe seeing you each marked will help as well.”

Agreement ran through them. “How about those that are comfortable start giving and receiving marks after the LA performance and make them easy to hide? That way we all have time to do it on our terms?” Minho outlined.

Another round of nods and called agreements, and the subject changed to their next hotel and getting there. Chan sighed internally, nervous about the prospect before him, but also excited beyond anything he had been before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Open and clear communication is fucking sexy, y'all.
> 
> Also, I could NOT resist mentioning 2PM after the recent SKZ VLOG. IT WAS SO CUTE GUYS. *melts*


	6. Maybe it’s Time to Explore

Chan lay awake the morning after the LA show, still in bed and scrolling through social media. He’d managed to keep himself away from it for his entire hospital stay and the travel afterwards, but seeing their fans last night had led to him wanting to see what they were up to. Right now, Twitter and Instagram were filled with him rolling around the LA stage last night. They'd tried to say that he should just sit off to the side, but he'd refused. As long as he was mindful of the edges of the stage, he was fine being more interactive. Other than that, he was trying to stick to the news sites and fans reactions to articles more than anything else. The replies to his and the company’s statements had been pretty positive, with only a small percentage of more insensitively minded people making derogatory remarks or being traditionalist assholes. 

He hated lumping people in like that, there were plenty of people that enjoyed a more traditional lifestyle than he ever would, but made no assumptions that others should do the same. But when there was a large group of them throwing names around and calling people disgusting or anything along those lines, it was hard to make the differentiation. He sighed softly and rolled over, then gasped at the ripple of pain that erupted from his side all the way down to his knee. He’d moved too quickly again. 

Seungmin stirred across from him and rolled over to look at Chan, “You ok?” he asked sleepily.

“Yeah,” Chan said, still a bit breathless, “just moved wrong.”

The younger beta hummed and shuffled out of bed before climbing into Chan’s instead. Part of the recovery was making sure Chan’s muscles didn’t try to lock up and to soothe any residual spasms that may come about. That meant stretches and massages when they popped up. “Where at?” Seungmin asked. 

Chan gestured to the area, and with a focused look, Seungmin began gently pressing his hip out and letting his fingers carefully dig into the wayward muscles. Chan breathed through it and the muscles slowly loosened up, “Better?”

The leader nodded, “Thanks. May as well do my morning exercises.”

Seungmin murmured sleepily in agreement and moved to get the papers to make sure they were doing the right ones. When he came back, he asked, “How’d you feel about the performance?”

Chan sat up slowly with the younger’s help and they began running through each exercise, “I think it went well. Now I know how Minho and you felt when you guys were injured.”

“You at least could roll around the stage,” Seungmin chuckled, “I think that was probably the best part. Everyone just expected you to sit off to the side, instead you were rolling around and even tried to do some tricks with Felix.”

“I think I’m paying for that now,” he wheezed through a hard stretch.

“Probably, but we at least won’t have to worry about it for a while and you enjoyed playing around with the fans. I think everyone was happy to just see you in such good spirits.”

Seungmin pulled him into a low bend over his legs, letting the press pull his back and hamstring muscles and making him groan lowly. They did a few more and then Seungmin stood, slowly helping Chan up. It was exhausting to walk a short distance still, and shaky. Seungmin kept his hands on his hips as they moved to the wheelchair, but Chan managed the entire few steps on his own without the muscles in his hips trying to seize. They were getting there. 

Once in the chair he sighed in relief and leaned back in it. He wasn’t expecting a peck of lips on his own. He blinked his eyes open with a small jerk of surprise. Seungmin was still very close as he asked, “Not okay?”

It took Chan a moment to pull it together before he shook his head, “You’re fine, just didn’t expect it.”

“Should I forewarn you before I kiss you next time then?” The younger said playfully.

Chan huffed, “Maybe?”

“Fine. Chan, I’m gonna kiss you again.”

The leader rolled his eyes, “You are so obnoxious. You kn—”

He was cut off as Seungmin laughed and leaned forward to catch his lips in another kiss. Chan tilted his head back obligingly and Seungmin leaned on the arms of the wheelchair, though minding his balance. The younger beta was a gentle kisser, but intense. Where Changbin’s had been questing, Seungmin went straight for something deeper, nudging Chan’s mouth open with his own lips until his tongue swept in. Chan met the intensity, a low moan leaving him as they pressed back and forth, testing and exploring. It ended slowly though, Seungmin peppering smaller kisses across his lips and jawline before letting his head drop into Chan’s shoulder and neck, sighing happily.

“I want to mark you so badly…” The beta murmured.

“Where would you mark me?” Chan asked, licking the lingering taste of the other off his lips.

“Hmmm,” Seungmin’s hand moved to over his forearm. “Along here. The neck would be nice, but not until we bond.”

Chan shivered at the scrap of teeth just over his neck. Betas didn’t get fangs the same way an alpha or omega did, but they did get them. Alphas and omegas would have two or three teeth on each side of the top and bottom jaw that would lengthen when they got too in their own instincts. Beta’s teeth would be similar, but not near as long, but still sharp.

Seungmin pulled back, smiling and licking his lips, “Where would you mark me?”

The leader considered their main vocalist for a moment, then reached up and traced his fingers over his collar bone, “Here, I think. You can cover it if you want or show it off.”

The younger laughed softly, “Always so mindful of others.”

Chan smiled with a shrug, unapologetic. Seungmin leaned in to give him another kiss, when there was a knock on the door. The younger pouted, but moved to it, opening it to an energetic Jisung with Minho trailing behind. Jisung hugged Seungmin tightly, then trotted over to Chan, throwing his arms out, “Chaaaan~!”

He wrapped in a hug immediately. “Someone’s in a good mood,” Chan observed.

Jisung nodded and pulled his shirt aside to show off his left collarbone, “Minho marked me,” he said proudly.

Marks of intent were usually a row of pinpricks from one side of the mouth. The full crescent was only used in a bond bite. Jisung's was bruised, so they had probably done it last night, but the pinpricks from Minho's fangs would heal in time. And either they would renew them to continue courting, or they would go to a full bond bite. Chan smiled brightly up at the rapper, “Good, it’s in a nice spot too.”

Jisung blushed a bit, the approval of their leader clearly pleasing the alpha. Chan leaned around him to peer at Minho. He raised an eyebrow expectantly at the dancer and the other rolled his eyes. He pulled his shirt neck to the side far, to the back of his shoulder, where a row of teeth marks were just behind where the collarbone attached. Jisung lifted his chin proudly and Minho chuckled at him. Minho’s looked much fresher, perhaps they’d done it when they woke up. 

“Congratulations,” Chan said, genuinely happy for them.

It made him melt just a little. Seeing it, the start of it all actually becoming real, still made him nervous. However, it was more of an excited nervous than a scared nervous. He wondered if any of the others had chosen to do theirs last night as well. He looked to Seungmin, a little worried that by rooming with him, he'd been denied getting someone's mark last night. Seungmin seemed to understand and he shook his head, “We’ll all get there eventually. I got to kiss you this morning, so I’d call it a fair toss up.”

Jisung gasped, “Wait! You two kissed? No fair, I met you first, I should have kissed you first!”

Chan huffed and pinched Jisung’s side, “Technically Changbin kissed me first, so go whine to him.”

Jisung made an exaggerated noise and gripped his side like he’d been stab, “Cruel!”

“I know, I admit it. Now let me get cleaned up so we can head out,” he said and rolled himself to the bathroom.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Several interviews and a difficult parting later, Chan was in a hotel room with Changbin and Jisung alone, though Changbin was out getting food. The rest of the group was on a plane back to South Korean with Minho to look after them. The alpha had been unhappy but had gathered himself and the rest of the pack up before marching them to the waiting vans. Chan was still feeling the departure like a lost limb, but the two rappers had promptly attached themselves to Chan quite firmly. “Channie,” Jisung said lowly as he helped the leader go through his stretches, “was it really all right to let them go?”

Chan looked up, frowning at the other, “What do you mean?”

Jisung sighed, moving to help Chan lean to get the correct stretch, “Well, first and foremost; you’re still healing and then we just started doing marks of intent. Changbin and Felix marked each other and then me and Minho. Hyunjin and Jeongin didn’t just because they wanted to be in a more comfortable space for it. I feel like right now is a critical time for us to stay close.”

The leader straightened and Jisung stood, reaching down to help Chan stand up and steady himself, “It’s too late now, but I don’t think a few days will hurt anything. It does give me a little time to think and make sure I’m not just going with the flow. I don’t think I am; I just don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Jisung huffed but kept himself steady as they began walking about the hotel room. “Just don’t overthink it. I’m the only one in this pack allowed to do that,” the younger said firmly.

Chan laughed, “I was doing it long before you, Sungie.”

“Yes, but I’ve perfected it,” he replied with a proud smile.

A laugh caught in his throat as it made his stomach muscles jerk and Chan winced. Jisung’s expression dropped and they stopped moving. Slowly, the younger maneuvered him to the bed and let him sit down. He took a few breaths, “Sorry, I think I’ve done too much today.”

“Would those massages help?” The younger asked.

“Probably,” Chan said hopefully.

Jisung nodded and pushed Chan back onto the bed, helping him scoot back, then climbed up next to him. The younger was attentive as he let his hands run over the taut muscles of his side and stomach. It was nothing deep or professional, it was more just to remind the muscles to relax, to calm down. Chan slowly relaxed into the movement of Jisung’s hands, eyes fluttering closed for a moment. He felt Jisung shift over him, but he paid it no mind until he felt breath across his face. He held still, wondering what the younger would do. Jisung must have been debating his options, but he didn’t think on it too long as soon he was pressing his lips to Chan’s quickly.

The leader couldn’t help a small intake of breath. More because of the reminder that yes, this was happening made something bright bloom in his chest. Jisung took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, letting his arms move to bracket around Chan’s head. For however chaotic Jisung was, he always had at least some idea of how he wanted things to go. This was no different, and soon Chan found himself gasping for a breath between very thorough kisses that he met head on. There was something almost desperate to the kiss, like Jisung was afraid it was all a fever dream and when they stopped it wouldn’t happen again.

The alpha only pulled back when Chan was sure his lips were bruised and red, both of them gasping for air as Jisung looked down at him for a long moment before letting out a little, incredulous laugh. Chan gave him a confused look, “What?”

“It’s just… this is real. It’s happening,” the disbelief in his voice made Chan’s heart ache.

He reached up and cupped the younger’s face, “Yeah, it’s real. I’m so sorry that I didn’t see it until now.”

Jisung shook his head, “You’re adorable when you’re being dense because it doesn’t happen that often.”

Chan playfully pursed his lips and smacked Jisung’s side, making the younger laugh. “Seriously though,” the leader continued, “I am sorry.”

“So am I. There were times I wanted so badly to say everything, but I was afraid you’d bolt. I’m glad we got here,” Jisung admitted.

“Me too. We still have a lot to do, but at least it’s a start,” he agreed.

Jisung hummed and leaned into the hand Chan still had on his face. He kissed his palm, then sighed into it. The burst of air made Chan very aware of just how close to his wrist Jisung was. The younger continued with little kisses, nips of teeth, and everything just short of making a mark. Chan’s tongue licked over his lips as he thought about their marks. Would it be okay to have Jisung give him his now? He’d told everyone he wanted to wait, he’d even repeated it a few minutes ago, but how long should he wait? Pressing down the insecurities he said, “You can… if you want.”

Jisung’s eyes snapped to him, searching his expression, “It’s only been a couple days since we talked as a pack. Are you sure?”

Chan nodded, “Seeing everyone else’s marks kind of… sealed the deal. I want to know what that feels like and specifically from all of you. I think it’d be appropriate if you were the first to give me one.”

Jisung’s expression went through a myriad of emotions before he buried his face in Chan’s neck. “Sungie? Are you crying?” Chan asked worried.

Jisung nodded into his neck and said a muffled, “Good tears!”

Chan huffed a little and wrapped his arms tightly around the younger, pulling him close. Jisung shifted to not put too much weight on his lower body but stayed curled up to Chan for a moment. Chan let as much comforting scent as he could blanket the younger, rubbing his back. He finally pulled back, wiping his eyes, Chan helping dry his cheeks. “It’s good to see it happening,” Jisung finally said, “I’ve wanted it for a while, just… never thought it would actually happen.”

The beta’s chest tightened a bit, “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t really make it obvious either. Minho just knows me way too well. Plus, back in the day, I always thought you’d end up joining GOT7 and their pack,” Jisung pointed out.

That hit a bit closer to home then Chan wanted it to admit and he pushed down the little pit of something he hated quickly, “Maybe at one point. But that was a long time ago.”

Jisung leaned in and kissed him quickly, only pulling back for a moment to say, “You’re ours now.”

The possessiveness sent a shiver through Chan and he tried to hide it with a snarky comment, but Jisung cut him off with another kiss. The kiss mirrored his tone. Chan let him have it, let him stake his claim in a manner of speaking. Jisung only pulled back to put tiny kisses and nips along his jaw and down his neck. Chan arched and moaned as the alpha paused at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, breathing deep, “Fuck, you smell good when you’re turned on.”

Chan just whimpered, because he couldn’t smell it, but if Jisung was happy with it, then so was he. Both of them stilled as Jisung’s teeth braced against the edge of his collarbone, right where the skin dipped behind the longer muscles. “Can you hide this?” He asked, voice rough and heavy.

“Mm, makeup,” Chan said breathlessly.

“All right,” And then lips and teeth pulled sharply on his skin.

He gave a little yelp of surprise, but only arched at the way pleasure and pain radiated through him from the mark. It was a visceral response, and probably partly from the way the movement had made him move parts of his body he wasn’t ready to use yet. But it felt good and left him with a pleasant hum through his body. Jisung pulled back, panting lightly and admiring the mark left, “Yes,” he half hissed around his fangs.

Jisung dove back to his lips, blanketing Chan’s upper half with his and making them both moan. A resounding smack made Jisung’s squeal and wrench back a few moments later though, tossing himself off the bed and causing Chan to sit up on his elbows in surprise. Changbin stood, still half in the pose of having landed a solid smack on Jisung’s ass, a wide, Cheshire grin on his face as he looked down at the younger, “That’s what you get for marking him without me here!”

Chan burst into laughter and curled on his side, shaking with the force of it as he realized Changbin had probably come in just after Jisung had finished marking him. Jisung sprung up, “He told me I could! I wasn’t going to pass it up any more than you would have!”

“I was gone for an hour! You could have waited!” Changbin shot back, putting the food down on the desk.

“What, is Binnie jealous I haven’t marke—ah!” Jisung was cut off as Changbin grabbed his arm, picked him up fireman style, and tossed him onto the bed adjacent from Chan. 

Changbin straightened back up, “You’ll mark me when I let you.”

Jisung made a face at him but Changbin just leaned over, “You want the beach walk or not?”

That got the alpha’s attention and he turned a brilliant shade of red. Changbin leaned over far enough to place his hands on either side of Jisung, just putting his face just a few inches from Jisung’s, “Stay put.”

Jisung nodded enthusiastically and Changbin straightened, looking over at Chan, who was still half curled on his side. Changbin moved to sit just above Chan on the bed, facing between both of them, “I’d rather not mark you in a hotel room. Jisung and I decided to do the romantic bit, Felix didn’t mind too much where it was done as long as it got done as soon as possible—”

“Cute,” Jisung dropped in.  
  
Changbin ignored him, “—but what about you? You let Jisung mark you, so I assume you’re in?”

Chan nodded, “I am, seeing it all start just made it kind of fit in place.”

The other beta gave him a tilted smile, “Good, any thoughts on how you want to go about your mark with everyone?”

Chan blinked; a bit confused. Changbin shrugged, “I’d like making it a bit more personalized, unless that’s just not a big deal to you. That’s why this one here,” and jerked a thumb at Jisung, who just smiled, “will get his date on the beach.”

“Oh,” Chan said and let a smile pass over his lips, “I’ll have to think on it then.”

Changbin nodded and Jisung took that as his cue to sit up and toss his legs over the other side of the bed, “Wait, you didn’t get to mark me, Channie!”

“Hmm? No, not yet. You sure you don’t want something like what Changbin’s doing?” Chan asked.

Jisung shook his head, “You’re still healing. I want you to do that first, so I’m fine just getting the mark with no real fanfare. When we renew it, I might be more particular.”

Chan snorted, “Taking a raincheck then. All right, come here,” and sat up, holding out his hand to the other.

Jisung moved over to their bed, settling between Chan and Changbin. Chan wrapped an arm around Jisung’s waist as the younger, before he took a hold of his closest arm and pushed up his sleeve. He contemplated a spot, thumb rubbing over the unblemished skin gently. He looked up and focused on the area just below his elbow, “This okay?”

Jisung nodded, biting his lower lip in anticipation. To get his fangs out, Chan let himself fall a little more into his instincts than he had since before the hospital. Everything heightened just a bit more than he was used to and he swayed, “Whoa…” And tipped backwards.

He heard a call of his name and then both Jisung and Changbin were in his line of sight. He blinked at them widely, “That is… a lot more intense than I’m used to.”

“They did say your swing heightens a lot of things, including your senses, to more of an omega or alpha level when you settle into your instincts,” Jisung said worriedly.

“All right, forgot about that,” Chan said, shaking himself out a bit. “I guess it’s not insanely different, but… I’m going to need a bit to get used to it.”

“Okay,” Changbin replied, “do you want to wait to mark Jisung?”

Chan carefully shook his head, “No, I need to get used to these differences.”

The two seemed reluctant, but they nodded in agreement anyway. Chan straightened, focusing on Jisung and the arm presented to him. He leaned down and nibbled at the skin, making Jisung hiss softly. He sucked and pulled at the spot, leaving behind a nice bruise, before letting one side of his longer teeth sink into the offered flesh. Jisung gasped, and Chan could feel him lean back into Changbin, the other rapper hushing him softly. The little droplets of blood that welled up and caught on his tongue as he licked the wound, were almost sweet. The coppery taste was still there, but the kick of hormones in the bloodstream made it nothing but an undertone. He pulled back to admire his handy work and smiled in satisfaction. 

He looked up to Jisung and Changbin and was met with two sets of widely blown pupils and a hunger he’d hadn’t really recognized before. He did now though, and dear god did he want them to act on it. Medically, they couldn’t though. “Soon,” he said, licking his lips.

Changbin groaned and buried his face in Jisung’s shoulder as the youngest murmured, “Fuck, fuck, fuck…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously. I probably could have started the smut here. But then the sexual tension and realism said 'Not today bitch!'
> 
> So... yep. Enjoy :D


	7. Your Pace is Set, Mind the Turns

Chan sat waiting with Changbin standing behind him, the beta’s hands on the handles of his wheelchair. It had been several days and they had just landed in South Korea, and they knew that a crowd was waiting for them on the other side of security. They’d been tucked away in a private area to wait, but they didn’t want to stay in the airport too long. The rest of the group had gotten home somewhat unscathed, though they had had questions thrown at them that were invasive and some of the fansites were more obnoxious beyond their normal. It had actually been a disaster at first, but once they’d all realized Chan wasn’t there, they’d backed off. Jisung was off getting them water while management was surveying if they needed any assistance to get to the vans. 

A little chuckle left Changbin as they waited and Chan looked up, “What?”

“Just looking at the comments on the pictures we put up on the 3racha Instagram. Everyone likes how we decorated the wheelchair,” He replied.

Chan grinned at that. One day after producing and mixing tracks for almost sixteen hours straight, they’d taken markers, spray paint, and various other supplies to the back of his wheelchair to make it feel more like something that was his, and less a representation of a very terrifying time for him. The back was a mix of a stylized ‘Skz’ logo, 3RACHA, and various other bits and pieces that meant something to him, their group, and Stays. He’d convinced the management to bring it along and not just get a new one in South Korea. He didn’t want to need more than one ever again. “I’m sure they liked all the references,” he commented.

“Yeah, and they liked that you weren’t shying away from the fact that you’re in a wheelchair for the time being,” Changbin added.

Chan looked up again at that, “Really?”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of talk on that and your change to a drift beta. Some are wondering if you’ll talk about it in your next vlive.”

“Ahh, yeah, I probably will. It would be weird if I didn’t, right?” Chan said, more than asked.

“Yeah, probably, but you don’t have to share what you don’t want to,” the other beta emphasized.

Chan tilted his head back to lean against Changbin’s stomach, “I know.”

His eyes drifted to the mark on Changbin’s wrist that was covered with several fashionable wrist bands. Changbin and Jisung had decided to put it on their wrists after their romantic outing of dinner and a walk on the beach. They’d asked if he wanted to come, but this was for them. They may be in a pack that was heading for bonding, but they didn’t all have to do things together all the time. Chan had opted to stay in and ended up sleeping through them arriving back. He’d woken up the next morning to them curled around him and Jisung happily and sleepily showing his mark off. 

It made him want this all the more, and he’d almost told Changbin that they could do it then and there, but he made himself pause. Part of what he loved about Changbin was that he seemed like this angry gremlin but ended up being the sweetest teddy bear on the face of the planet. And also the most romantic. So instead, he considered it for the entire stay in LA, and he finally had what he wanted. Chan tapped the other beta's hand to get his attention, “I know when I’d like my mark.”

Changbin looked down instantly, “Oh? When?”

“After I’m walking fully again. We’ll mark each other then,” he said with a determined smile, “any details I’ll leave up to you.”

The other beta smiled slowly as he nodded, “All right, you’ll love it.”

“Yeah, I know,” and he knew he was looking at Changbin like he was the world, and in that moment he was.

The click of a camera going off made them both momentarily panic, only to relax as they saw Jisung with his phone out, “Yes! Got it! That’s going to the group chat because that was a magical moment and we all need it.”

Chan laughed in relief while Changbin sagged and stepped away from Chan, “You little shit, get over here!” And made a grab for Jisung, who managed to dodge away.

“The world must know!”

“Eight people is not the world!” 

“But you’re my world,” the alpha said, turning the dreaded puppy eyes on Changbin. 

The beta stopped, a doubtful look on his face as he considered the big eyes and pouty lip. Finally, he rolled his eyes with a disgusted sound and Jisung’s expression blossomed into a huge, gummy smile. If they weren’t in public, he was sure they would have kissed, but they kept it in check. “You’re both saps,” Chan said with a shake of his head.

“Saps for you,” Jisung sang out, just as their manager came around to them. 

Juwoon sighed as he saw them, “You’re all way too loud. I could hear you down the hall!”

Chan hid a grin as Changbin and Jisung looked appropriately chastised. Juwon huffed and waved them forward, “Security is lined up, the airport doesn’t want an incident after the disaster the rest of the group landed to. And especially not with you still in recovery.”

The leader took a deep breath, “All right, let’s do this then.”

He pulled up his sick mask and Changbin stepped up behind him before Juwon could. The manager gave him an exasperated look but knew he wouldn’t be able to change his mind. Jisung stepped up just behind Changbin and they started their trek to the vans. 

Chan really had underestimated how many people would be there waiting for them. More than usual, sure, but this was almost double who normally waited for them. He swallowed down the nervousness that was trying to build in him and glance up at Changbin, “Make sure Jisung stays close.”

Changbin nodded and glanced back at the alpha. Chan noticed as Jisung’s hand wrapped around one of Changbin’s arms and Chan relaxed a little. He put on the best face he could and smiled and waved as they made their way through the crowd. Mostly people were taking pictures, but a few seemed to be trying to get his attention for something other than that. He just smiled and bowed as best he could. A handful simply yelled their questions, some sounded downright wrong and he wasn’t even going to look their way. 

‘What does it feel like now that you’re an omega?’ What type of screwed up question was that? He was a drift beta, not an omega. He grit his teeth behind the mask and he could hear as Changbin and Jisung both let out a growl as one photographer or fansite, who knew which, tried to position themselves in front of their path for a picture.

They quickly abandoned the attempt and the rest of the crowd pulled up short or stepped away. The sharp, protective scents were now pouring off Jisung and Changbin as they moved a bit faster through the lobby. Jisung wasn’t known for being truly aggressive, but he had no problem growling if he felt there was reason for it. Changbin was known as one of the most protective of their group, along with Hyunjin and Minho, so that wasn’t too surprising. Hyunjin just tended to be the sort to place himself between the member and whatever was going on. While Minho didn’t tend to use growls as a way to express his displeasure. It was no less terrifying when he pinned you with a glare though. Changbin had no problems growling.

They were in the vans quickly after that, Juwon taking the wheelchair as Changbin practically bridal style picked Chan up and put him in the front seat of the van. He wasn't going to risk protesting being carried. He and Jisung got in the back and moments later they were off. Once they were moving, Chan turned back to them, “Calm down.”

Jisung took a long and slow breath while Changbin shook himself out and tried to rein himself in. “I’m okay, and we’re almost home. Pack cuddle pile?” The leader suggested and looked to Jisung, trying to give the youngest something to do other than focus on the perceived threat in the airport.

Jisung nodded silently and pulled out his phone, texting the group chat. Chan looked to Changbin and reached out to him. The edge of cloying, dying fire smoke left Changbin’s scent and went back to the warm chestnuts and firewood that was familiar to them all. He could see Jisung relax out of the corner of his eyes and the soured edge left his blueberry smell as well. He squeezed Changbin’s hand and kept hold of it the entire way back to the dorm. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

The door to the dorm swung open and the rest of the pack stood just outside the entryway, all greeting them warmly for a moment. They quieted as Jisung went straight to Minho and buried his face in the elder’s chest. Minho looked at them in confusion and Chan grimaced, “There was a lot more people at the airport than we thought there would be. They mostly kept in line with security there, but there was cause enough for warnings at one point.”

Minho’s lips pursed tightly together, but he nodded and wrapped the other alpha up in a hug, murmuring in his ear. Jisung kicked off his shoes as Changbin held Chan’s wheelchair in place while he started to get up. Hyunjin went to him immediately while Seungmin pulled Jeongin and Felix out of the way. Their dorm had a step up to get into it, so it wasn’t particularly wheelchair friendly, especially with some of its narrower halls, but they would get by. He managed to balance himself against Hyunjin but held up most of his own weight.

The other beta helped shuffle him to the couch and he dropped gratefully onto it. It was clear they had gotten the message from Jisung that it was cuddle time, just not the reason as to why. Hyunjin shifted the piles of blankets and pillows, situating himself behind Chan and wrapping his arms around the other beta’s waist. Chan could hear Changbin bringing the wheelchair in but was distracted by Felix curling up to his left and resting his head on Chan’s thigh. The leader smiled at him and let his hand run through the younger’s hair. Felix instantly closed his eyes and close to purred at the affection, “We’re glad you’re all back,” he said softly, not opening his eyes. 

“I didn’t like being separated from you guys so quickly after you were in the hospital,” Jeongin admitted as he pulled around the ottoman and put Chan’s feet up onto it.

“Sorry Innie, we have a while to just settle in now though,” Chan soothed the younger.

The heaviness of Jeongin’s scent, usually meaning he was afraid or angry, lightened, going back to fallen leaves and fresh rain. The youngest climbed onto the ottoman and situated himself so he was laying with his head on Chan’s stomach and curled partially around Felix, yet also between Chan’s legs. It probably should have been uncomfortable, but it just felt relaxing to be near them again. A few moments more and Changbin joined them, then Minho, Jisung, and Seungmin. Chan sighed happily, “Good to be home.”

He paused and then poked at Hyunjin’s cheek, since his head was right on Chan’s shoulder, “Did you and Innie end up doing your marks?”

Jeongin buried his face in Chan’s stomach, giggling softly. Hyunjin smiled happily and showed his arm, where Jeongin had put his mark just below his elbow. Chan nodded approvingly, and that made the dancer puff up as he said, “Jeongin, show him yours!”

The youngest huffed but pulled up his shirt sleeve to show a mark just below his wrist. Chan smiled, “Very nice, and you’re taking care of the wound. All of you?”

They all nodded, “And you’re taking care of yours?” Hyunjin added with a grin.

He reached up and pulled down Chan’s shirt to show the now stark mark that Jisung had made on his collarbone. Chan blushed darkly, “Stop that, of course I am.”

His eyes darted to Jisung, and the alpha gave him a proud little smile. Hyunjin’s tentative voice slurred slightly as he spoke due to the way he was leaning on Chan’s shoulder, “Can I mark you?”

Chan tilted his head slightly toward the other, “Why now?”

Hyunjin’s expression turned thoughtful, “I just, want to know this is real. Everyone else can take their time, me and Innie did. But we’re here, at the dorm, we’re in a cuddle pile, and this just feels like it’s the best time.”

He considered that, “How about this: if anyone else feels the same way right now, we’ll do it.”

Jeongin raised his hand, “I feel safer this way. Minho stuck around when I marked Hyunjin, so I didn’t get carried away. I’d feel even better with the whole pack here.”

Chan could feel Hyunjin smiling down at Jeongin as he watched their hands link. Beside them, Felix raised his own hand, “We’re going to have to get used to doing more intimate stuff like this as a group, right? I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch with how much we already do together, but this could be a first step.”

Felix’s face darkened as he locked eyes with Chan and Chan knew his own face just got redder at the implication of more intimate activities. “Well, yeah, that’s true,” Chan cleared his throat, “So, Hyunjin, Jeongin, Felix?”

He glanced around, already knowing the answer from Changbin, but Minho just smiled and waved him on and Seungmin shook his head, “Not yet for me.”

Hyunjin’s arms around him tightened slightly in excitement, “Where can we mark you?”

“I’m not too picky, just not too high on the neck please. What about you guys?” He asked, looking between them.

Jeongin held out the same arm as Hyunjin had marked, “I want them all on my arm. So, I can show them off when I want.”

Chan chuckled, “All proud of them?”

Jeongin nodded, smiling wide, and Chan looked to Felix. The younger Australian eyed his neck, but said instead, “Your shoulder.”

“Liar,” Minho said lightly, “He wanted to mark up your neck so bad he wouldn’t stop talking about it until Hyunjin threw something at him.”

“Minho!” Felix whined, hiding his face in his hands.

Honestly, that didn’t surprise Chan too much. Felix could get possessive at times, though he tried to keep a careful eye on the characteristic. “When we’re stable and out as more than a platonic pack, then you can.”

Felix looked up, eyes darkening as he said, his voice dropping even lower if possible, “Okay.”

Hyunjin kissed the muscle of his right shoulder through his shirt, “Here.”

Chan laughed, “Should I just take of my shi—”

“Yes!” Came the resounding chorus from most in the room. 

Seungmin just laughed out loud, falling back against Changbin, who wrapped him in a tight hug. Chan looked between them with a shocked expression, “I—well, okay, but we can’t do too much. Not yet anyway.”

Jeongin blushed along with Felix, Jisung just purred into Minho’s neck, eyes still locked onto Chan. The leader huffed out a bit of laughter to try and lighten the mood before sitting up a bit, pulling his shirt off to toss it aside. Hyunjin’s free hand immediately splayed across his abdomen, pulling him back against him. Chan sunk back into him easily and glanced at the three closest to him. Felix had sat up to watch closely as Hyunjin began to press kisses to the spot on his right shoulder he planned to mark. 

Chan shuddered at the press of plush lips and gentle hands. Another joined Hyunjin’s, settling on his hips just above the line of his pants, and he cracked his eyes open to see Jeongin peering up at him, pupils blown wide and sharpened teeth just over the edge of his lips. A little growl rumbled through him, and answering one came from Chan’s side where Minho sat with Jisung.

The oldest alpha was in a similar state, but for a different reason. A quiet conversation, nothing tense, passed between the two and Jeongin took a steadying breath, pulling his instincts in a bit. Chan was happy to see him keeping himself under control so easily now. The youngest shifted up a bit, hand sliding to take hold of Chan’s arm and pull it towards him. A small moan left him as Jeongin kissed the tender skin on his inner arm ad Hyunjin sucked hard on the spot on his shoulder. 

Chan opened his eyes again to be met with Felix’s intense stare. The alpha licked his lips and leaned in, capturing him in a hungry kiss. The leader arched slightly from the stimulus, wanting to better kiss the younger. A rush of pain and pleasure went through him as Hyunjin finally bit down, a row of pinpricks that sent shivers down his spine. He didn’t get much reprieve though, as Jeongin’s teeth settled into his arm briefly, then pulled back to nip and lave over it with his tongue, bruising it more. 

The kiss with Felix ended only so the younger could leaned down slightly and sink the left row of his teeth into the top of Chan’s shoulder, making the eldest cry out softly. He leaned back into Hyunjin as the beta nuzzled and kissed at his hair, occasionally drifting back to the spot on his shoulder. Jeongin pulled back from his arm with a happy purr that was mimicked by Felix as he pulled back as well. A warm, pleasant hum ran through his body, and the hands on his stomach and hips, stroking over the skin, stoked that fire. 

Swallowing thickly, he made himself sit up, pulling away from Hyunjin, forcing Jeongin to sit up questioningly. If he stayed like that things would progress where they shouldn’t yet, because he still wasn’t medically allo—

His thoughts cut off when he was met with a very predatory looking Jisung inches from his face. The alpha licked his lips, and before he could say anything, Jisung was devouring him. One arm wrapped around his neck and he could feel as Hyunjin moved one hand up and down his spine soothingly. He got lost in the kiss for too long, before forcing himself to pull away, “Can’t, can’t yet.”

Jisung whimpered and they both dropped back onto Hyunjin, making the beta groan at the sudden weight. Jisung buried his face in Chan’s bare chest and grumbled, “How much longer do we have to wait?”

“Hopefully only one more week,” Chan said, his voice still too low as he pushed the warm arousal from his mind.

The arousal slowly left the air as they all reined themselves in. However, when he looked around, he noticed Changbin and Seungmin were gone. He raised an eyebrow at Minho, and the older just shrugged, “It was leave or they’d mark you here and now as well. They both have a plan for how they want to do it.”

Chan nodded, then turned partially to the three that had just marked him, “Let me have a nap, and then I’ll mark you all.”

Light laughter ran through his packmates, but it was the truth. Between the travel, the airport and now this, it had all been exhausting for his still healing body and he drifted off a few moments later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, forewarning, work is ramping up again. This means I'm only going to be able to post once a week and I am going to try to make that Saturday or Sunday. If I get a burst of time to write more, then there will be more, but I have to shift more of my focus for the time being.
> 
> Also, I am not sorry for the tease. *eyebrow wiggles*


	8. Take You Up a Notch and Down a Peg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated!!

Chan woke up to his packmates still wrapped around him, and the smell of food being cooked. “Changbin’s making dinner with Minho,” Hyunjin said in his ear.

The drift beta mumbled a bit and shifted to try to look at the other beta better. He could hear Jeongin mumble, then nuzzle at his stomach and Felix, who had been playing a game on his phone, sat up to look them. Jisung was curled up against Seungmin’s chest next to them, nose buried in the beta’s neck. Chan smiled at them, then focused on Hyunjin, “What time is it?”

“Just after six.”

Chan frowned and tried to sit up, “I should help.”

He didn’t get very far, Hyunjin tightening his arms around Chan and Felix putting a hand on his shoulder, “They’ve got it covered, Chan. You can rest some more.”

Chan looked up at the younger with his customary pouted mixed with a glare. Felix just chuckled and leaned in to kiss him. Chan finally relaxed back with a huff into the kiss, the alpha pulling back and leaning against the back of the couch once he was sure that Chan wasn’t going to get up again. He was awake now though, the sleepiness slowly slipping away. Granted, he was still exhausted so he could probably fall back asleep if he tried, but he wanted to mark Hyunjin, Jeongin, and Felix. “I’m awake enough to mark you guys,” he said softly, hands moving to stroke Jeongin’s hair and one of Hyunjin’s arms.

Jeongin shifted to look up at him finally, “You sure?” His big eyes looking Chan over worriedly.

Chan gave him a reassuring smile, “Yeah, we just have to keep it toned down a bit.”

They all nodded in understanding, and Chan sat up carefully, mindful of how his body seemed to ache now that he’d settled down and wasn’t stressing about travel or the state of his pack. A shuffle was heard next to him and he looked over to find Seungmin and Jisung peering over at them intently. He smiled and Jisung blew him a kiss, making them all chuckle, then kissed the beta he was currently wrapped around on the neck. Chan shook his head and looked down at Jeongin, holding out his hand to the younger. Jeongin gave him his arm and Chan looked it over, considering it for a moment. Once decided, he leaned down and kissed a spot a bit further down on his arm from Hyunjin’s.

Chan glanced up at the alpha to see if he was all right with that and Jeongin nodded. Chan sucked hard on the spot before sinking him teeth into the tender skin. A shudder ran through the younger and Chan pulled back carefully once he was done. Jeongin gave him a woozy little smile and Chan couldn’t help a short kiss with him, before letting him go. Jeongin buried his face in Chan’s stomach again, purring happily. 

Jisung shifted over and carded his fingers through Jeongin’s hair, intensifying his purrs. Chan laughed a little, then glanced at Felix fidgeting next to him. Felix looked eager but glanced at Hyunjin. Chan looked back at him as well, the beta kissed Chan’s hair, “Mark him, best for last,” he teased.

Felix rolled his eyes at Hyunjin but didn’t argue. Chan nudged at Jeongin, the younger grumbling, but slid off him and into a pile with Jisung and Seungmin. The drift beta looked to Felix, “Preference?”

The alpha thought for a moment, then pulled the neck of his sweater, which was somewhat wide already, down over his left shoulder, “Anywhere here.”

Chan considered the exposed shoulder, fingers trailing over the collarbone before stopping at the middle point on it, “Here then.”

Felix nodded, anticipation clearly making him force himself to not fidget as much as possible. Chan paid attention to the spot, making the younger wait and only biting down once Felix let out an impatient whimper. Once his teeth sank in the younger took a sharp breath and a low moan left him. When Chan pulled back, Felix smiled at him with a similarly dopey look on his face to Jeongin’s, “Fuck, how did you keep yourself in check after getting a mark from all three of us?”

Chan chuckled, “You’ll learn.”

Felix pouted but Chan pulled up his shirt shoulder, “Go to the cuddle pile, Lixie. I want to mark Hyunjin.”

The pout intensified, “No kiss?”

Chan mock sighed but leaned in to give the alpha a kiss before he joined the other three on the other side of the couch. The drift beta turned to Hyunjin and paused, “Rein it in, Jinnie.”

His fangs were out, his lashes were hooded over dark eyes, and Chan could feel his arousal against his hip. The dancer groaned, but closed his eyes and licked his lips, letting out a long breath before he opened his eyes and nodded, “I’m okay.”

Chan reached up and cupped his jaw, letting his thumb run over his cheek and Hyunjin turned to nuzzle into his hand. “All right,” Chan said, “where you do want it?”

The other beta hummed, “Same spot I marked you.”

Chan let his hand slide down from his face to the spot on his shoulder, pushing his button-down shirt out of the way of his shoulder, “Here?”

Hyunjin nodded and Chan leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips first, for being patient, then trailing down until he pressed a few to the muscle of the top of his shoulder. A low moan left the other and Chan took that as a cue to mark him. He sank his teeth in deep, making Hyunjin arch beneath him. He took a moment to make sure it bruised as well, then pulled back. “Fuck,” the younger murmured, “I'm with Felix: how did you get three and not break the no sex rule?”

Chan laughed, and pulled back to sit up, “It really did suck, but I’m not about to risk anything. I’m endorphin high right now, but once it wears off… I’m going to be hurting.”

The scents in the room shifted almost immediately at the mention that he would be in pain and it jolted Chan slightly, looking around uncertainly. Hyunjin sat up, looking Chan over worriedly, “We did too much?”

“Maybe, but I’ll be fine. I—”

Jisung growled lowly beside them and Chan looked over in surprise. It wasn’t an alpha growl, but a growl of frustration. The younger alpha had pulled himself out of the cuddle pile and was reaching for his bag. He pulled out the packet of the stretches, exercises, and massages, and commented, “His sides usually get him the worst.”

Chan sighed, “It won’t be that ba—"

Jisung gave him a narrowed look and Chan promptly stopped, looking away in mild frustration. Hyunjin wrapped his arms around Chan, “Let us take care of you, Channie. Please?”

The drift beta looked between them all, then finally relented, “Fine.”

Jisung nodded, “I can do the massage for his side, but someone else will need to help him through his exercises. We’ll be more careful this time in case something is already overtaxed.”

Chan wanted to hate it, but it made something warm in his chest as the others began to tend to him and try to ease the aches that he had been ignoring.

~~~/~~~/~~~

The next day was his first physical therapy session since he got back to South Korea, and so far it had not gone how he wanted it to. Maybe he really should have been more mindful yesterday. Between the stress of traveling, trying to keep his pack mates calm, then the marking, he’d woken up incredibly sore the next day and had barely gotten through his morning exercises with Changbin. Now, at the therapy session, he struggled to keep himself balanced as he stood, continually resorting to grabbing hold of the railing as he moved at a slow walk according to the instructions he was given. 

“Good, that’s good, Chan,” his therapist, Younghee, said.

Chan frowned in concentration, “I was doing better before yesterday.”

“It’s not always going to be an incline,” she advised. “Sometimes, you’ll dip back down, and go back up higher next time. As it is, you’re already faster along than others I’ve assisted. That’s probably because you were a dancer and athlete before. You’ll be back to normal in a few weeks, if you keep up this pace.”

He looked up, almost falling as he did, but catching himself, “That’s not a normal time frame?”

Younghee shook her head, “It’s usually closer to two more months. But your body is used to building up muscle memory for dances and then having to rewrite that on a regular basis. So, you’re going much faster than other drift betas.”

“I… can’t imagine this going on that long,” he said, trying to contain his dread at the prospect.

“It shouldn’t, but we will take every precaution to make sure you get back to normal safely and quickly,” she assured.

Or so she tried. It set a pit of unease in his throat that he tried to swallow down, but it seemed stuck. He managed to put on a smile and work through the rest of the session, but gratefully dropped back down into the wheelchair at the first chance she gave him. And didn’t that just shoot him through the chest.

She gave him a knowing look, “Rest, Chan. Your body needs it.”

He nodded and rolled himself out to the waiting room. Juwon had come with him this time, since the rest of the pack was needed at the main JYPE building. They were assisting with evaluations of some of the trainees. He would be helping tomorrow, but he had to be at therapy this time. 

When Juwon tried to push him, he waved the manager off. The older gave a small huff of annoyance, but Chan was determined to push himself back to the car. At least he could do that. Once at the car he pulled himself up into the front seat and let Juwon take the wheelchair. They were back to the dorm quickly, and it was another struggle to get him and the wheelchair into the dorm. Once inside, Juwon stepped up beside him, “There’s no therapy tomorrow, but you’ll be helping with composition and production evaluations tomorrow.”

Chan nodded, “All right, what time?”

“Seven AM. The rest of your pack will be back in a few hours,” Juwon placed a hand on his shoulder.

Chan looked up at him, “I’ll be fine for now. Go on,”

The manager gave him a narrowed look, but sighed and nodded, “If you need anything, let me know.”

Once Juwon was gone, Chan deflated and slumped into his chair. He was exhausted from the therapy, but he knew there were things he needed to get done. There was still production work to do and a myriad of other things he could be working on. But he also had his family and all of his pack in his other ear telling him to take care of himself. He scrubbed a hand over his face and rolled himself to his room, grabbing his laptop and setting it on his lap, then went back out to the couch. 

He’d do a half an hour of work, then sleep until the pack got home. He set himself up with a bottle of water and a snack, he knew he needed the fuel, and was soon working away. What he didn’t count on was passing out halfway through.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Seungmin looked up at Minho as he frowned at his phone, “Something wrong?” 

They were almost done with evaluations for the day. He’d been a bit more on the sidelines since he was there to help assess vocals, but he still helped with dance where he could. They’d had to leave Chan with his manager, Juwon, which rankled the pack slightly, but they had jobs to do and Chan had therapy to go to. So, they’d packed themselves up and gone to the main company building. 

The alpha looked up and sighed, “We’re going to need to check on Chan when we get home. Juwon is worried.”

Seungmin’s instincts immediately did a one-eighty on him and clamored for him to go home and see to their leader. He pushed it down, “Why? Did something happen?”

Minho shook his head, “He struggled with physical therapy a bit. It got his mood pretty low apparently.”

The younger beta grimaced, “I can go back now. I’ve just been helping you guys, Jisung and Changbin are going to be in the studio with the newbies for a while, and Jeongin still has lessons.”

Minho looked over at him and nodded, “That’d be good, I’ll tell Felix and Hyunjin. Keep us updated, all right?”

Seungmin made an affirming sound and moved over to one of their managers, asking to be driven back to the dorms. After she agreed, he quickly changed, and they were on their way shortly. He opened the door to the dorm, kicking off his shoes and called, “Chan?”

There was no answer and Seungmin quickly shuffled into the main room, a little worried, but that didn’t last long. Chan was completely passed out on the couch, slumped to the side with his laptop half on his lap and close to slipping off to the ground. Seungmin quickly moved the laptop, careful not to wake the leader, then pulled out his phone and sent a picture to their group chat.

An idea flashed in his mind and he looked around, quickly grabbing the post-it notes they used to leave messages around the dorm when they needed to and began writing out a few little notes. All encouraging and loving. He quickly asked the rest of the pack for more, most of the older members cooing about how cute he was at first, making him roll his eyes, before giving just as many ideas. Once he had a small mountain of them, he snuck up to Chan and began to delicately place them on and around the older. He wanted Chan to know that he was loved, that he was strong and would get through this. And that they would support him. 

Once Chan and the area around him was sufficiently covered, he went to the kitchen, planning to make something sweet and comforting for their leader for when he woke up, humming along the way.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan woke up to semi-muffled singing and something pink in his vision. He frowned, trying to remember what had happened. He reached a hand up and grabbed at what was in his vision and pulled away a little post-it note. He stared at it sleepily and realized there was another on his hand. He took it and looked them over.

One said: You did great today!  
The other said: You work so hard for us! We love you!

He recognized the handwriting, it was Seungmin’s. A small smile touched his lips and he lowered them to realize that there were numerous across his body. A disbelieving laugh left him as he looked around. The notes were scattered around him as well, across the couch, the coffee table, his laptop, and up on the wall behind him. Tears gathered as he began to pick them off of himself and the immediate area. Each and every one was something encouraging and adorably loving. 

He took a deep, shaky breath and he looked up, finally recognizing the singing as the writer of the notes and trying to see where the younger beta was. The singer came out of the kitchen, bright smile in place and with a large bowl of what looked to be ice cream, and fruits, and so many things that just made the waterworks finally give way. Seungmin came up short, looking surprised, then immediately set the food down and knelt in front of Chan just between his legs, “Hey, Chan, babe, talk to me,” he said in quiet English.

Chan swallowed down a small sob, “It’s been a hard day.”

“Juwon may have mentioned it,” Seungmin admitted.

“Snitch,” Chan said trying to be playful.

Seungmin hummed and looked at the pile of notes that Chan was still clutching to his chest like a lifeline, “Did they help?”

Chan nodded, holding them a little closer, and Seungmin smiled again, “Good, I got a lot of suggestions from the pack. Jisung’s are the cheesiest. They’ll be here in about half an hour or so. They’re getting dinner on the way back. But I thought we could indulge a bit first,” and gestured to the ice cream behind him.

“Thank you,” Chan said quietly.

Seungmin focused back on him and grabbed some tissues, passing them to the other. Chan quickly dried his eyes and straightened up, offering a loving smile to the younger. Seungmin returned it and reached forward, fingers touching just under Chan’s jaw. Chan held still, unsure what he was doing until the singer was leaning up and in. The kiss still had the same gentleness as before, but this one was less intense, and more lazy exploration. Seungmin pulled back only slightly, “Can you mark me?”

Chan looked surprised for a moment, but nodded, “Yes, here…?” and traced his fingers over Seungmin’s collarbone.

The other beta nodded, the happiness that Chan remembered the spots they’d chosen back in LA showing in how his eyes lit up, “Yeah, I made sure no one else took it.”

A small laugh left Chan, and he gave the other a quick kiss as thanks, before pulling his shirt aside, shifting closer, and letting his lips close over his chosen spot. Seungmin sighed happily in his hold, encouraging Chan to keep going. He let his teeth sink in a few moments later and pulled back to admire the mark. It was still a bit jarring with how much more intense his instincts were to get his fangs out, but he was learning to deal with it again. Seungmin trailed his fingers over the mark and smiled in satisfaction, then held out his hand, “Can I?”

Chan nodded enthusiastically, and Seungmin took up his arm when he held it out. The drift beta kissed Seungmin’s’ hair as he marked him, enjoying the hum of pleasure as it ran through him once again. The singer gave the spot one more kiss, before he pulled back, “Perfect.”

“Yes, you are,” Chan said with a smile.

Seungmin blushed and laughed, “Not fair.”

“Absolutely fair,” Chan countered, sticking his tongue out at the younger.

Seungmin rolled his eyes but shifted up onto the couch next to him and pulled the ice cream close, “It’s melting, so we do kind of need to eat it.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” and snagged his own spoon.

Chan hummed happily at the first bite, enjoying the sweet with the different fruits Seungmin had added in. The younger may not be the best cook, but it was hard to mess up something that was essentially just tossing together a bunch of sugary and kind of tart things and calling it good. “Thank you,” Chan said between bites, “I really needed that.”

“We’re all here for you, Chan. Don’t forget that,” Seungmin said, and leaned in to kiss Chan’s cheek.

Chan gave him a grateful smile but didn’t get to say much else as the door burst open and Felix came trotting in with two bags of chicken held high, “We got din—Why do you guys have ice cream!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Aaah, the smut is so-*Suddenly hit by an angst and fluff train*  
> Brain: *Leans out, still in party shades and a refilled solo cup* Whew, arrived just in time!  
> Me:... Why do you hate me?
> 
> Seungmin is just so damn cute, dear lord *wheezes*


	9. A Reminder or Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... fuck it. Suffer with me. *cries in a corner*

The next day was better. The pack reminded him not to push himself and they started getting more of a system down around helping Chan with his daily exercises while he continued to learn more about navigating with and without the wheelchair. What he could and couldn’t do was always changing, so it was a constant process of trial and error. Today Felix helped him while Changbin made everyone breakfast and Minho corralled the rest out of bed. It was Chan's day to be in the main building and assist with evaluations for composition and production, among other things. 

As he rolled out into the living room, he smiled at Hyunjin when he saw the other beta checking his bag. The taller smiled broadly in return once he noticed Chan and came over, leaning down to give him a kiss. That was something he was getting used to, a lot of kisses. Felix had given him several before they started exercising and Seungmin had given him a few after climbing into the bed with him before the alarms had gone off. After everything the day before, it seemed to have made it that much easier for everyone to show affection. It’d have to stay mostly in the dorm, of course, but at least here they could hide it easily. 

“Good morning,” Chan said as Hyunjin pulled back.

“Morning,” the younger replied, “I think breakfast’s almost ready, but Seungmin looks extra clingy today,” and gestured to the kitchen.

Chan peered in to find the singer cuddling up to Changbin’s back. The other beta allowed it, even leaned back into it, but it was clear it was somewhat hampering his progress. Chan chuckled, “Yeah, he spent the morning cuddling me.”

“Ah, so that’s why he was in your bed,” and Hyunjin shook his head as he went back to his bag.

Chan turned himself and went into the kitchen to tug on the beta’s shirt, “Come on, Seungminnie, Changbin needs to finish.”

Seungmin pouted but nodded and released the rapper after sharing a quick kiss with him. “You feeling good about today?” The other singer asked.

“As good as I can,” he said.

He was a little nervous. He was going to be out and about in his wheelchair and there were plenty of people that would look down on him for it. He really hoped that no one like that was at their company, or among their trainees, but he wouldn’t hesitate to make sure they understood exactly why they should never look down on anyone with a disability. Hyunjin sat down as he and Seungmin got to the table, and soon food was out and people were moving between the kitchen and the rooms as the chaos of mornings with eight people continued while the three of them talked, “It will be fine. If it’s not…” Hyunjin began, frowning darkly.

“If not, we treat it in a professional manner. No taking anyone out back for beatings,” Chan joked.

“Aww, but Chan! Minho would do a great job of beating someone up!” The taller whined.

“No, bad,” he said, flicking Hyunjin’s arm and making him flinch but still laugh. “I’m more focused on seeing what the trainees are creating and how to help them though,” he admitted around a mouthful of food.

A set of lips pressed to his cheek and he looked up to see Minho for a brief moment, before the eldest alpha was in the kitchen getting food. “Some of them have made some good stuff,” Seungmin said, “Others need… help.”

“Ominous..."

“Just a forewarning,” Was all the younger added with a shrug.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Seungmin was right, there was about half the trainees that needed serious help. He’d already made three cry and one he had sent to his teachers for an attitude adjustment. He didn’t like seeing any of them cry, that’s not how he worked. But when he’d basically just torn apart almost all of their original compositions, it was hard to avoid. He’d done his best to be encouraging, but in no way was he going to be lenient. If they wanted to debut, they needed to understand what it took to do that. 

After the first half of the day, he was already exhausted emotionally. Jisung and Changbin had been with him throughout it, with Jeongin and Seungmin appearing now and again. As the last trainee of the round left, Jisung dropped his head back and groaned, “These are rough.”

“They’re learning, don’t talk too badly,” Chan scolded him.

“I know, it’s just hard because I can see what they’re going for, they’re just not quite getting there,” the younger rapper added with a sigh.

“Yeah, hopefully they’ll figure it out, but we can’t do that for them,” and Chan rubbed his forehead to try and relieve the mild headache that was trying to create. “It’s food break though, right?”

“Yep,” Changbin said, flipping his laptop closed and stretching. “Staff put together some food in one of the main rooms.”

“Oh? What’d they get?” Chan asked, mouth watering at the idea of the tasty food the staff usually got.

“I think it was the chicken place down the street,” Changbin said with a shrug.

“Yeah, the one we had when we were in recording for Levanter,” Jisung said excitedly.

They opened the door for him and let him roll out into the hallway, trailing behind him. They bantered as they went down the hall, Jisung distracting him with a story about some of the trainees from the previous day. So, he didn’t notice that the room they were heading into was dark until he was halfway inside, and the lights flipped on to a mass of people yelling, “Welcome Back Chan!”

Chan almost rolled himself backwards out of the room but stopped as he realized what was going on. He didn’t know quite how many people were in the room, but aside from their pack, he could see all of GOT7, Jamie, Day6 (much to Seungmin’s happiness, he was sure), Twice, several members of 2PM and 2AM, many of their staff, a number of trainees, teachers, and even some of upper management. Their CEO, JYP, was there, smiling big and on the edge of goofy as he clapped along with everyone else. Jisung took hold of his wheelchair and began wheeling him into the room, “Surprise,” he said quietly into his ear.

Chan about burst into tears at that, because after everything, and even though he was still in a wheelchair, it was an affirmation that there would be an end. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

The party had been going on for about an hour or two and he was sure it wouldn’t last much longer. Too many people had too many things to get done, but he was enjoying it regardless. What he wasn’t enjoying though, was the fact that he had noticed Changbin and Minho slip away with Jaebeom a few minutes ago and they weren’t back yet. With a frown he began maneuvering through the crowd in search of them, finally glancing out of the room and spotting them down the hall. It was clear immediately from their body language that the conversation was more serious. His memory flashed back the mentions of certain proposed shovels talks that their pack had discussed back in LA. He had hoped that those had been waylaid with how his packmates were treating him, apparently not. 

He pushed himself out into the hall and called, “Hey Minho! Changbin! Can you guys go protect Felix for me? I think he’s getting a little too into the dancing with Jihyo. He’s teaching her the Renegade.”

He hiked a thumb over his shoulder back into the room and Minho gave him a pinched look but took Changbin’s arm and moved back to the room. Changbin looked torn between being glad for the save and pissed off enough to punch something. “Chan—” Jaebeom started once they were out of earshot.

“You’re giving them a shovel talk?” He cut in, turning to the GOT7 leader with a narrowed expression.

“You can’t fault me for being worried about you,” Jaebeom said firmly.

“In this particular case, I think I can. You, of all people, do not get to give my pack that type of talk. No one should be giving them this shit,” he said, low and angry.

“You’re our one of our m—”

“I am not one of your maknaes. You all made sure of that when you convinced me to give up on you guys ever becoming any form of pack, and then a few months later, did it anyway,” he snapped.

The pill of resentment that he couldn’t get rid of no matter how much he clawed at it stuck in his throat this time. He looked away from the older alpha and forced himself to keep talking, “Sure, it’s good now. And I get you didn’t think that you would be a pack when you told me that and you probably all thought our pack was heading for bonding anyway... But that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell when you didn’t talk to me about you guys becoming a pack. When you didn’t clarify what was going on and if I still wanted to be a part of it with you.”

“You would have said yes,” Jaebeom said quietly.

“And would that have been so bad?” He asked, the hurt clear as he finally looked up at him again.

Jaebeom was silent, expression drifting between unreadable and uncertain, until Chan managed to drag the jagged pill back down, cover it in layers and tamp it down, “So no, of anyone that may give them any type of shovel talk, you don’t get to be one of them.”

He turned his chair and then rolled back into the room and the crowd, forcing a smile onto his face. He didn’t get very far when arms wrapped around his shoulders, making him stop, “Channie~!” Jeongyeon sang out, “I’m so glad you’re healing well!”

He leaned back and looked up at the other singer, “Thank you Jeongyeon, hopefully I’ll be out of this soon too.” And gestured to the chair

“Knowing you, it won’t be much longer,” She joked.

He chuckled and her expression shifted. He closed his eyes because he knew she must have heard the confrontation somehow. She spoke softly, to not alert those around them, “They just want to protect you.”

“I know,” he said, “but that’s not the way to do it. I don’t want anyone doing that to my pack. It’s unproductive and selfish.”

“Is it?” she asked with a tilted head.

“It feels like it. It just feels like they’re trying to make themselves feel better about what they did,” he said, swallowing back the tightness in his throat.

“Nothing they did was mean spirited, Chan. However, much it hurt you. You don’t owe them forgiveness by any means, but they’re still your friends. And I know you’d hate yourself if you lost them,” she warned quietly.

The tears were back at the edges of his eyes, because for however much he thought he was over it, apparently he wasn’t. He pushed it down yet again and forced out a, “Thank you.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the temple before drifting back into the crowd. He managed another hour, Jaebeom and his pack didn’t avoid him after that, but he could feel the tension. BamBam and Yugyeom certainly wanted to talk, probably the others too, but like hell he was sticking around for it. He knew he’d say things he’d regret, and Jeongyeon was right. It wasn’t worth ruining their friendship over. He had his pack now, he had who he needed.

So why the fuck did it still hurt like hell? 

A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up at Jisung. The alpha gave him a concerned look and Chan put on his show smile to try to reassure him, “Hey, what’s up?”

“You’re tired, and angry still,” he pointed out.

Chan’s stomach dropped, “Didn’t know it was still showing.”

“Not in your scent, but you are.”

An irrational anger at Jisung’s perceptiveness tried to rise up, but he pushed that away too. Jisung was being an amazing packmate and didn’t deserve him lashing out. The hand on his shoulder squeezed, “Channie, we promised we wouldn’t do that.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” was all he could say.

Chan had always been adamant on as open as possible communication, even before Woojin had been removed (for however much good it did with the older), for a reason. The GOT7 pack had danced around one another for years, all of them never saying enough and just expecting everyone to understand. That in mind, the push for good communication had only gotten so far with Chan’s pack with everything with Woojin and the recent developments around their own relationships as evidence. It wasn’t because they didn’t try, but open communication was hard and meant trial and error to see what worked for everyone. After Woojin was removed, it’d been a whole new complex process to try to figure out where they’d gone wrong. He’d thought they’d got it down since, and in a lot of ways they had, but some of it was still hard. “You go home. Hyunjin, Felix, and Jeongin will go with you. We’ll wrap it up here and reschedule the evaluations, okay?” Jisung offered.

Chan swallowed down his pride and nodded, “All right, thank you.”

He meant it and hoped it showed when he looked up at the younger. He knew it wasn’t always easy to call someone out, especially in a pack. He took the hand on his shoulder and kissed it, Jisung leaned over and kissed his hair. He could see people in the crowd reacting, but he ignored it as Jisung redirected them quickly. He could see BamBam trying to break off to go to him but he gave him a sharp look and shook his head, turning away from him quickly so he didn't have to see the way he knew it would hurt the other. 

Felix was next to him a moment later, followed by Jeongin and Hyunjin, “Ready to go?”

Chan hummed mildly and allowed himself to be pushed along. It didn’t take long to get back to the dorm, but once he did and they were in the living room, long arms wrapped around him and sandalwood with a dose of roasted nuts filled his nose as Hyunjin said, “When you’re angry, your cedar wood starts to turn rotted.”

His breath left him, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Felix’s responded, “Just… tell us how we can help?”

“I just... need a moment…” his voice cracked, making him stop with a shuddered breath.

They maneuvered to the couch and soon all three were wrapped around him. He settled as best he could among them, but his chest felt tight and he couldn’t bring himself to look at anyone. “I was…” he tried and had to pause to gather himself.

He started again, determined to get through it, “I thought they were going to be my bonded pack eventually, however unrealistic that was for someone that young to think. No offense Innie.”

Jeongin shook his head, “None taken. I personally hadn't thought of my place in our pack like that until relatively recently anyway.”

Chan smiled at their youngest, before continuing, “Then I was told I wasn’t debuting with them. And I was happy for BamBam, he was so afraid of being left behind. For a while nothing really changed except that they were busy with activities and that meant less time for me. Then it slowly became less and less. Finally, about a month before we debuted, they told me a pack wasn’t going to happen, not even a platonic pack. Then, a few months later, they started dating and showing marks of intent. And… I wasn’t a part of that. I know, we became a platonic pack just before that, but I didn’t have any expectations of bonding then. I thought…we could have gone to a working pack... I thought they would talk to me about…it still hurts, and I haven’t been able… to…”

He tried to bury his face in his hands, but Jeongin pulled them down, starting to wipe the tears away. Felix nuzzled at his neck, leaving little kisses dotted across his neck and jaw. Quietly, Chan said, “Sorry, it feels so unfair to you all because you’ve been thinking the complete opposite the whole time.”

The guilt over it tore him up. He’d been forcing himself not to think about it because he knew it would destroy him, and now here he was confessing it all to them. “It’s okay,” Hyunjin said in his ear, “you’re allowed to be angry and sad about this. I’m sad that you didn’t realize it all sooner, but we have your attention now. You're ours as much as we’re yours.”

“I hate that you went through that,” Jeongin said softly, “but Hyunjin’s right. We have to move forward, right?”

Chan gave a wet, “Yeah.”

“So, we’ve got you, Chan,” Felix said into his neck.

A sob broke from Chan and he curled up into the three younger’s hold, until exhaustion took him.

~~~/~~~/~~~

“Now I know why he’s always so adamant about talking things through. It’s not that he just saw everything with them happen, he was a part of it,” Jeongin said softly, laying half on Felix and half on Chan, Hyunjin somehow octopus-ed around all three of them.

“I’m… angry at them. Really fucking angry,” Felix whispered, barely containing a growl.

The blood scent Felix gave off made Chan whimper in his sleep and Jeongin glowered at the older alpha, his own autumn scent fighting with Felix’s for a moment before they both evened out. Once reined in, Felix spoke again, “But we also all know how that drama went down. I’m glad he wasn’t in the middle of it more than he had to be, and I’m glad he’s with us now.”

Jeongin nodded and they turned to a contemplative Hyunjin. “Hyunjin?” Felix looked to him expectantly.

The beta pursed his lips, “I’m… disappointed. I already knew Jinyoung and them were all human, that part of the fan in me got corrected a long time ago. Now it’s just accepting that Chan was affected by something they did in a negative way. I hate it, but I’ll get there.”

Felix leaned up and kissed the dancer, pulling away with a quiet, “Love you,” that made the beta purr happily.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan woke up slowly. He knew he was in the living room, but only because he knew the ceiling. Jeongin was sprawled across him, he could pick up his autumn and rain smell easily since his face was pushed up into his neck, and he could see a head of someone else’s hair on his shoulder. He murmured and shifted and the arms around him tightened. “Go back to sleep if you’re still tired,” came Hyunjin's calm voice. 

“What time is it?” He asked, trying not to wake up Jeongin.

“Just after six. The rest of the pack went out for food. They didn’t want to wake you with cooking,” the younger explained.

Chan sighed, “I would have had to wake up soon anyway.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Jeongin mumbled into his neck.

Before they could argue anymore, a knock was heard on the door and he could feel the two youngest frown. Jeongin reluctantly got up and that made Hyunjin and Chan sit up as well. Chan fixed his hair and went to stand, only to sit right back down with a heavy breath as his muscles reminded him that he was still recovering in many ways. Hyunjin immediately moved to him, “Where?”

Chan uncovered his side for the other and he began to help work the tension out, the roasted nut part of his scent returning to help relax them both. It wasn’t bad this time, just more surprising in his still-sleepy state. Chan finally breathed out in relief as the muscles seemed to finally let go and leaned into the younger’s hands. “Oh, um, should I come back?” Came a familiar voice.

He looked up to find Yugyeom waiting just outside the living room, Jeongin just behind him. Chan sighed, slumping slightly as Hyunjin pulled away but stayed close to his side, “May as well do this now. You’re mad about how I spoke to Jaebeom I take it?”

Yugyeom shook his head, then Chan watched as the younger moved to settle on his knees in front of them. “I need to say this. I didn’t think that…” He started, but stopped, as if looking for the right words.

As his pause drew out, Chan tried to be patient and not snap as he said, “You didn’t think what, Yugyeom?”

“I honestly thought you had found a new pack, Channie. And when you said later that it wasn’t, we were already bonded and I… Fuck, I’m sorry, I am so sorry we did that to you,” he said and promptly bowed low, forehead touching the backs of his hands. 

Chan wanted to be angry at him, wanted so much to lash out. But he was just tired at this point. He slid out of Hyunjin's hold until he was kneeling on the floor, and shuffled himself over to tap Yugyeom’s shoulder, “Sit up you idiot.”

Yugyeom reluctantly sat back, still not looking at him, head ducked low. Chan pulled him into a tight hug. The beta in his arms paused, then curled around Chan, murmuring apologizes over and over. “I know, I know you are. And I forgive you, I promise I do,” Chan said softly. “But I need time, my pack needs time. Give us that, okay?” He closed his eyes, hoping he could get that.

Yugyeom nodded into his shoulder, Chan could feel what was probably tears soak into the shoulder of his shirt, “Okay, I’ll make sure everyone stays away.”

“Why didn’t your entire pack come?” Jeongin asked from where he was still standing over them.

There was a note of disapproval in his voice that Chan would ask him about later, but he withheld it as Yugyeom answered, “I convinced them to let me come first. They mean well, but they’re fucking idiots when it comes to apologies. If they came now it’d be over the top and Chan would be flustered with all of it and readily agree to anything. Jinyoung agreed with me and is kind of keeping them locked in at the dorm with Mark’s help, even Jaebeom doesn’t try to challenge Jinyoung when he gets that look on his face.”

Chan pulled back, “If he’s got the one I think you’re referring to I don’t blame them. You know me too well though.”

Yugyeom just gave him a shaky smile as he brushed away tears that had stained his cheeks. Chan returned the smile and gave him one more hug before pulling away completely, “Go home, Gyeomie. Tell them I’ll let them know when I’m ready to talk to them again, and not to bother my pack.”

The younger beta nodded, then chuckled, “I don’t think they’ll be able to talk to your pack for a while. Your youngest here tried to murder me with a look when he saw me at the door and I'm pretty sure Hyunjin hasn't stopped glaring at me this entire time. I don’t want to know what the others will be like.”

Chan snorted and glanced at his packmates. Jeongin at least had the grace to look contrite, glancing down, but it was clear from his expression he wasn’t actually sorry for it. Hyunjin just raised an eyebrow and shot Yugyeom one last glare before he began running a hand up and down Chan's back. Chan shook his head and shuffled back to the sofa, Hyunjin helping him back up, “See ya ‘round, Gyeomie.”

“Later Chan,” and the other singer left the apartment quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I am still learning about GOT7, so I hope no one was too out of character. I just, really needed to explain why Chan's so adamant about communication. And while I love and adore GOT7 even though I'm just getting into them, I cannot help but notice the chaotic MESS they are. Like Skz is chaotic, but GOT7 is on another level all their own.
> 
> Also, I realize I may not have said this before, but THANK YOU to everyone in the comments and for all the kudos and just for reading this at all. I cannot express how amazing it is chatting with people and to suddenly realize this has over 200 KUDOS. THE FUCK?? 
> 
> This fic is far from over though, so I hope to keep seeing you all with the coming chapters! Thank you!


	10. Finding a Center for You and Yours

It had been over a week since the surprise party, which he learned was originally Jisung’s idea, but the entire pack had put it into action. Jisung hadn’t stopped blushing for an hour after everyone called him out when Chan had asked, denying it and saying it was all of them. Chan had wondered where the over the top romantic part of Jisung’s purposed courting had gone on occasion, and he had chalked it up to them all just being busy and a multitude of other reasons. No, it was apparently because he had been wrapped up in organizing a party from across the world while still producing for their next album and Japanese release.

He hadn’t thought he could love his pack more, but he was apparently wrong. 

Chan had eventually managed to explain what was going on to the rest of the pack without crying again and tried to apologize for everything with how it had taken over part of the party. They were having none of it and had said he didn't need to apologize. He could feel and smell their anger at the other pack and that had led into another long conversation about not antagonizing anything. There had been problems on both sides of the situation, Chan was far from perfect, and if they had a problem dealing with any of it, they had to let the pack know. Once that was settled, it seemed to push things back to a sort of normal.

If normal was constant cuddles, having meals cooked for each other, dates, and presents. So far, he’d woken up to someone snuggling him every day, Hyunjin had taken him on two dates, one that included Jisung and Changbin, and another that was for them to enjoy, and flowers would appear randomly throughout the day between various members. The flowers had turned into a sort of war between them all. If someone got flowers, then they knew the person that gave them would be getting flowers in some way in a few hours. They didn’t get huge bouquets, just two or three here or there. Somehow, Felix had managed to setup a ‘flower petal trap’ that dropped a bucket of flower petals over Minho and Jeongin. They’d been finding them around the dance studio since. 

The staff seemed torn between telling them to chill out and finding it all incredibly adorable. They explained it away to the trainees and other visitors as the group being ‘in the mode’ for the fact that they were now doing an anime opening and closing, even though it was not really a romantic anime in any way. That seemed to do the trick though, and everyone accepted it. The added benefit to all of it, was that it had made talking to GOT7 again easier. 

There’d been apologies on both sides, most over the top, and a lot of talk on the ‘what if’s. What if Chan had plucked himself up and confronted them back then? What if Jaebeom and Jinyoung had talked to him about the pack and the change in situation? It had helped mellow out a lot of the anger on the part of Chan’s pack, even though he knew that some were still upset, it wasn’t like it had been. There was understanding now that they were working through it.

It had helped that some of the first texts Chan’d gotten from BamBam after he finally messaged him was the other fuming over all the shit they were getting away with. Often explaining how he had pouted at his older packmates and said they should be as cute as Chan’s pack was being. Jackson had sent him a message soon after with just ‘See what you’ve done?’

Chan had been completely unapologetic about it. Especially since Jackson was just teasing and had taken the whining to mean he could shower BamBam with a mountain of affection for hours on end. So, it worked out.

It also made Chan think about the next steps; continued communication, more dates, sex, and anything else that came along with a bonded pack. Dear god, he was going to have to initiate a conversation about sex. He didn’t think he was ready for that, but it was better to do it now before anything got miscommunicated between anyone (because they’d seen how that went already). He rolled himself over to Minho in the kitchen as the rest of the pack had hidden themselves away in their rooms for one reason or another for the evening, “Wanna help me with my exercises?” Chan asked the alpha.

Minho smiled from where he was pouring himself a glass of water and nodded, “Sure.”

They moved out into the main room and Minho held the wheelchair in place while Chan got up. He was close to not needing it anymore. Between the exercises and the therapy four times a week, he was almost to a place where walking and sometimes jogging didn’t immediately drop him to the floor almost dying. He still had a ways to go though. 

Chan settled down on the floor and Minho began helping him through each set, pulling and pushing him through different ones, creating leverage and weight as needed. Finally, Minho handed him his weights and Chan began going through repetitions, “So, I wanted to talk to you first, because I’m going to need your help with it,” Chan kept his voice somewhat low to avoid his words carrying.

Minho tilted his head but nodded, “What’s on your mind?”

“I think we need to get everyone together to...ummm…talk about dating and sex within the group,” he knew his face and ears were bright red as he said it.

Minho looked surprised, then confused, “What sort of talk?”

“Well, for dates: Laying down rules around group and individual dates, making sure people know who’s doing what and if anyone needs more individual attention or group attention. Things like that. Jisung likes one on one attention, but Felix likes group activities. And, however embarrassing it may be; who’s a virgin, kinks, hard ‘no’s, that kind of thing,” he explained.

Minho drew a breath in between his teeth, his own face reddening, “Ahh, okay, yeah, we need to do that.”

“Tomorrow afternoon? We have it off,” Chan offered.

The alpha nodded, “Yeah, that’d be best.”

Chan put his weights down for a moment and moved to Minho, wrapping an arm around his waist, “Hey, I’m nervous too, but we just have to remind them that there’s no shaming allowed and we don’t have to tell everyone everything immediately. We can update things as we learn them. I’m pretty sure most of us are still learning.”

Minho blew out a long breath, “It sucks being the oldest.”

Chan snorted, almost choking on his laugh. Both of them were similar in that at one point or another they had been the youngest, the ones taken care of. It was a nice reminder that he wasn’t the only one learning all this.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan had told them all about the pack meeting in the morning, and he could tell some were nervous. He’d assured them it was nothing bad, but they needed to start having clear lines of communication, especially with all the things they hadn’t talked about before. Once gathered in the living room, Chan seated between Jisung and Seungmin, the first half of it went well. They got a system in place to let people know when they were having dates, when they were open to more people joining, when they really just needed less people, or wanted one on one time, among other things. They’d revisit it later to see if it was working for them, but he’d be damned if his pack was going to suffer from miscommunications as he had seen with others. Minho was onboard for it all, helping facilitate when one too many people were talking.

Now was the more difficult part, “Okay, dating part done, now the more… embarrassing but just as important part.”

The pack glanced between each other, “Everyone’s already started fooling around, a lot, right?” Minho started.

Jisung groaned and hid behind Minho but didn’t protest. Seungmin’s cheeks turned pink, eyes darting to Jeongin who was a brilliant shade of red. Felix flinched, glancing at Changbin, who just wrapped an arm around him while Hyunjin hid against Felix’s shoulder. “Stop that, all of you,” Minho scolded them, “we need to have this talk, and be as candid as possible.”

“Right,” Chan affirmed, “it’s better to understand where we all stand and what we know and don’t know we enjoy. Everyone here is still exploring to some extent, so it will change, but we need to know where we’re all standing. If you're really not comfortable saying in this setting, then you can find me or Minho separately and talk more.”

The rest nodded, prompting Minho to continue, “You don’t have to name any names or give details. And no one is allowed to shame anyone, understood?”

They all agreed again, and Chan took a deep breath, “Well, first question, is anyone here not a virgin for receiving?”

He raised his hand, and Changbin and Felix raised their hands. “And giving?” He kept his hand raised.

Minho raised his hand, along with Felix, Changbin, and Hyunjin. The similarities in groups made him want to ask, but he wasn’t about to toss his first rule out the window. Felix and Changbin glanced at each other and Felix shrugged, “We lost both to each other,” Changbin said, Felix looking smug.

“Is that what you were doing that first night we got back from LA?” Jeongin asked, squinting at them.

Jisung snorted, still half behind Minho, “You guys were not subtle.”

“Well, considering we’re all going to be banging each other eventually, I don’t think that’s a big deal,” Felix said with a shrug. 

“You two would be the most nonchalant about this,” Chan said behind a laugh.

Changbin just shrugged and bit at Felix’s shoulder, making the alpha purr. Chan shook his head at them, “I’m gonna give you guys a list of umm…” he swallowed to steady his voice, “things of a sexual nature. Fill it out tonight and we’ll look at them tomorrow. We can discuss from there. Before that though, does anyone have anything that isn’t necessarily considered a kink, but something that they know makes them nervous or any experiences that are more… complicated?”

Confusion ran through them and he knew he was going to have to explain further, “So, okay, let me explain why I’m asking. I know, for me, taking an alpha’s knot is going to be a bit of a careful process the first time. I’m not against taking any of yours. However, my first and only experience taking an alpha’s knot, while initially enjoyable, ended up being very embarrassing and rather painful.”

The scents in the room changed quickly and he instantly held up a hand, “Not like that, it was completely an accident. It was my own first time,” the scent got darker, “I was riding them because we both agreed it would be easier to make sure I didn’t take their knot, it put me in control. They were umm… helping,” he gestured to show that his partner had been holding him under his thighs, “and apparently, I produce a lot of slick. Their hand slipped, I lost my balance, my weight went down, how tight I was popped their knot, and we were both… stuck.”

He refused to look at any of them, his face burning with how red it was. He powered on though, “So, the first time I try to take any of your knots I am going to be very nervous.”

He knew he would eventually have to tell that embarrassing story to someone, he hadn’t thought about the fact that it might be his entire pack. He heard shuffling around him but was glad to note that the heavy weight of protectiveness had left the scents of his packmates. Arms wrapped around him tightly and Jisung said, “Okay, first time you take an alpha knot will be with a lot of care and comfort.”

Chan deflated and leaned into him, melting at how the younger held him. “I think it’s worth saying then,” Minho spoke up, but Chan didn’t look at him, “none of you are to take an alpha’s knot the first time. Changbin, Felix, you didn’t—”

Both Felix and Changbin answered quickly, “No!”

Chan looked up finally to see Felix had wrapped himself around Changbin like an octopus as Changbin answered, “I didn’t take Felix’s knot. We didn’t want to chance anything, and we knew from the education classes that it’s generally not recommended for betas on the first time. Besides, I think you all would have noticed the aftermath.”

Minho blew out a relieved breath before focusing on Chan, “Have you taken a beta knot since?”

“Yes, that was fine. I think I’d be fine with it now. Honestly, I think I got the better end of the deal. Their bruised dick was sore and sensitive a hell of a lot longer than I was,” and let his ear rest against Jisung’s chest because his blueberry scent was calming, and his heartbeat was steady. 

There was a paused, then a high giggle, Jisung’s shoulders fighting to stay still and Chan raised his head curiously. Felix was sitting with his legs crossed, biting his lower lip. Jeongin, Seungmin, and Minho were clearly containing laughter, while Changbin squeezed out, “Bruised dick? Ow…”

Minho could no longer contain himself and burst into loud laughter that the others eventually dissolved into as well. Chan rolled his eyes as even Jisung began giggling into his hair. The only one not laughing was Hyunjin. His eyes were wide as he bit down on his lower lip with his fists clenched, staring at Chan like he was going to explode. Chan leveled him a look that promised murder from just over Jisung’s arm still wrapped around him. Hyunjin promptly gathered himself and swallowed it down and played along with the laughter of the rest of the group.

As the laughter died down, Minho finally scrubbed a hand over his face as if to push away the mental image, “All right, when any of you think you’re ready to take an alpha knot the first time, we’ll talk. Understood?”

Agreements ran through the pack and Chan tried to pull away from Jisung. A whimper came from the otehr and Chan stopped. He shifted just enough to point to the kitchen counter, “The papers are up there, fill them out when you are ready. I’m just… gonna stay right here.”

Jisung huffed triumphantly and pulled Chan down to lay across him. The drift beta nuzzled in closer to the alpha, curling up easily. Jisung kissed his hair, “Love you,” he said softly.

Chan hummed, “Love you too.”

~~~/~~~/~~~

It was late that night, when the rest of the members were in their rooms, Hyunjin had taken to eating a late night snack back out in the main room while going through the sheet that Chan and Minho had given them. It was thorough to say the least, some of it seemed way too extreme, but if any of the pack was into it, they would see what they could do. He would personally love to see Chan, or Jisung, in a collar, or learn some rope bondage to use on them. 

A shiver ran through him at the thought and he quickly pushed it aside to focus on the list, marking a few with question marks.

He looked up when he heard careful shuffling coming from one of the rooms to find Chan making his way to the kitchen. The leader was mindful to make sure he always had some place he could lean on, but generally he was doing well. “Hey Channie-love,” He called to the elder softly, in case anyone was already sleeping.

Chan peered out of the kitchen at him and smiled, “Hey sweetheart, what are you doing out here?”

“Just filling this out,” and gestured to the paper.

“Ahh,” Chan said as he moved over to settle on the couch next the younger rapper. “Any questions on it?”

“Not so far, you already filled yours out?” 

“Yeah, Minho and I filled ours out first to make sure it had enough information to go by.”

“Ah, we’ll see them tomorrow then,” Hyunjin said with a nod.

Chan hummed in agreement, “Yeah, well let me know if you do have questions. And if I hear that you’ve told anyone who you think my first time was with, a discussion will be the least of your problems.”

Hyunjin froze and looked up at Chan in shock. Sitting before him was not his lover, Chan, but their Leader. Not even the calm, encouraging leader. This was the Leader that had stood and faced Woojin when it was discovered what he was doing. He hated seeing this version of Chan because it meant that he was deathly serious and there was no room for error. The rapper’s throat twisted in knots, “Chan, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you. We managed to laugh at it, but I know how protective everyone is after everything from the party. We don’t need more of that between anyone else,” he emphasized.

And if it was who Hyunjin thought it was, they _really_ didn’t, “It was an accident though, right?”

“Absolutely, he spent weeks apologizing and trying to ‘make it right’ even though he’d been more hurt than I was,” Chan said with a shake of his head, the Leader persona falling away.

Hyunjin sighed, “Even if I’m wrong, I won’t say who I think it is. It’s in the past.” 

Chan looked at him and slumped slightly in relief, nodding, “It is.”

Hyunjin leaned in and wrapped his arms around the older, pulling him into a long kiss.

~~~/~~~/~~~

The pack stood in front of the pinboard that had all of their sheets of paper up for everyone to see. They knew they couldn’t keep them there on the off chance of visitors and so on, but for a little while they could before putting them somewhere safer. They covered everything from positions all the way to the hardcore stuff. Chan was relieved to find that none of them were into any of the hardcore stuff. The deepest any of them went was some bondage, collars, spanking, and gags. And even those were decently limited. To know that even for sex they were pretty like-minded was a relief. 

Most of them were pretty filled with question marks as well, things they weren’t sure about but wanted to try. “So,” Chan started, “we’re in agreement that if anyone’s trying anything new, we at least mark it and notify someone not directly participating so the rest of us are prepared to help if anything goes wrong?”

The pack nodded and voiced their agreement, “And we all have the safe word?”

Another round of understanding and Chan sighed, “God dammit, I should have started this after I was cleared for sex.”

Laughter rang through the apartment as half the pack wrapped him in a hug, “Don’t worry, when you get there, we’ll be ready to take care of you.” Minho said, something dark and mischievous in his eyes that made Chan’s heart beat double-time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this was kind of a clean up chapter, as well as setting the stage for future chapters. I know writing out/reading some of this stuff is not always that interesting, but I felt it was needed to push things forward *shrug*
> 
> The cute overload and juvenile giggles were ABSOLUTELY needed after the week I've had though *lies on the floor contemplating the universe*


	11. You’ll Dive Deeper

Chan was practically glaring at the soundboard as he considered the bridge of the song. Something wasn’t sitting right, and he couldn’t quite tell what it was. He’d figure it out eventually, but it was going to nag him until he did. He grumbled slightly but didn’t get far in his grumblings as arms wrapped around him and a familiar, blueberry scent enveloped him. He pulled off his headphones and looked over at Jisung, “Hey love,” he said softly.

Jisung beamed at the nickname, then Minho’s relaxing lilac scent broke through and Chan turned to see the other alpha leaning over him on his other side, “Channie,” He practically sang out.

Chan huffed, “Minho,” He sang back.

“Come on a date with us?” Minho asked, expression hopeful.

“Now?” Came Chan’s surprised response.

Jisung nodded against his shoulder, “You’ve been in the studio all day. You can’t stay in here forever.”

“I need to get this done eventually,” Chan pointed out.

“And eventually can be tomorrow. Come on, we have puppies and games planned,” Jisung demanded.

“Games and puppies? Where exactly are we going?”

Jisung helped him put away his things, hanging his bag across the handles of the wheelchair. “It’s a café, one close by and approved by the staff. They even have a lot of food options,” Minho explained as he began to push Chan along.

“Wouldn’t a cat café better for you,” Chan pointed out as they got to the elevator.

“Changbin and Jeongin took me to one the other day. You and Jisung like dogs best, so…” The younger shrugged.

Jisung leaned down to Chan again, “He’s been wanting—”

The younger stopped as Minho gave a disgruntled sound, Jisung looking up at the other alpha with an unimpressed expression. Minho let out a sigh that seemed to signal some sort of assent and Jisung went right back to what he was saying, “—to take you out for months now, especially since we all talked through our relationship, but with everything going on he was afraid to.”

“I wasn’t afraid to,” Minho half-growled, “we both had things to do and you were recovering…”

Chan leaned his head back to look at the dancer, giving him an appreciative smile, making Minho duck his head to the side slightly. “That’s why,” Jisung cut into the silent communication, “I said we should take you to a café! With puppies, because puppies!”

Chan knew part of why they were doing the puppies was because of how he had expressed disappointment about not getting to play with puppies at FBE. He was still a little salty about it, if he was perfectly honest. “All right,” he finally agreed, even though they were halfway down the hall, “let’s go then!”

Jisung cheered and they were soon making their way to the café, careful to make sure they weren’t followed, and Jisung explaining all the different food and drinks they had available along the way. As they entered the café, a worker smiled brightly at them and set them up in a private booth to prevent any overzealous fans taking notice. There was a TV with several gaming systems in front with a table low to the ground then seats and cushions everywhere, everything smelling freshly cleaned. It was definitely meant as a place for a small pack to cuddle up into.

Chan left his wheelchair to the side and made sure it was out of the way. The two alphas watched him closely, “Do you really still need it?” Minho asked.

The drift beta shrugged, “I’m close to being done with it, but the physical therapist said to keep using it until my next appointment to be sure. I’m not taking any chances.”

He flopped across a pile of plush pillows, looking up at Jisung and Minho. Jisung was getting the menus and Minho was looking a bit awkward. Chan held out his hands to the older alpha, making grabby hands at him. It allowed Minho to give his normal, disgruntled response of a roll of his eyes, but acquiesced and took Chan’s hands, settling down into the cushions and pillows next to him. The drift beta shifted over until his head was in Minho’s lap and he could peer up at the younger with a bright, slightly coy smile. Minho looked like he was fighting a smile, but at seeing Chan peering up at him, the smile went wide and he leaned down to kiss Chan’s forehead, “Cute.”

The sound of a phone camera shutter going off and they glanced up. Jisung smiling cheekily, “That’s in the group chat.”

Minho scoffed but let it be as he took Chan’s hand and let their linked hands settle over the eldest’s chest, just over his heart. Jisung handed them each a menu and they began looking it over.

“Oh, they have the toasted honey bread,” Jisung pointed out.

“Decent food first,” Chan scolded.

Jisung pouted, “Fine, the sandwiches are really good.”

Once they’d ordered their food, the door to the room was partially opened and another that led to the back room opened as well. A moment went by and then they had several puppies and dogs wandering into the room. A huge husky made a beeline for Jisung and decided that he was the best and soon the two were playing tug-o-war on the other side of the room.

A small shih-tzu and several few month-old puppies were accepting treats from Minho and Chan was basking in having several dogs vie for his attention with licks and little barks. Eventually the novelty of new people wore off and many of the more rambunctious dogs left, especially when Jisung flopped down beside Chan, out of breath from having rough-housed with most of the excitable dogs. Their food arrived shortly after, and soon they were playing games while eating, with dogs often dragging their attention away. One dog had taken up a rather protective roll over Chan for the entire two hours they were there. She was a standard schnauzer, grey and white and regal looking. She’d sniffed lightly at him, then plopped herself down next to him immediately. 

Chan fed her treats, but the moment any of the other dogs got too rowdy, she would get them to back off quickly. Even as they dug into the honey bread they’d gotten for dessert, she was still curled up to his side, head on his lap. 

“I don’t think she’s going to let you leave, Chan,” Minho pointed out.

Chan looked down at her, scratching under her chin, “Maybe not, she’s pretty much been standing guard this entire time.

“She knows what’s up,” Jisung said, who was sitting just behind him, leaning over his shoulder to take bites of food and curl up to Chan's back when he so pleased, “that you’re healing.”

“Dogs can be pretty intuitive, not like cats, but they’re pretty good,” Minho commented, keeping his food away from a begging labrador. 

Chan smiled down at her and she nudged at his hand, making him smile wider. A kiss landed on each of his cheeks suddenly and he jumped slightly, looking between his packmates who had just landed said kisses. They were each smiling wide and impishly, making Chan groan, pulling the dog close so he could hide behind her as he blushed.

They stayed for another hour before finally calling management to come get them. It was on the drive back to the dorm, Jisung asleep in the seat in front and Chan and Minho in the middle seat, that Minho leaned close to Chan and murmured into his ear, “I would like to be the first of the alphas to knot you. I want to make it good for you.”

Chan’s breath stopped for a moment and he leaned closer, “And how does everyone else feel about that?”

“They agreed. Felix and Jeongin are too scared of hurting you, and Jisung just wants it to be good,” Minho said, head turning to press small kisses into the leader’s hair as Chan leaned against him. 

“All right, thank you,” Chan replied, gripping the other’s hand tightly.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan stood in the middle of the dorm a few days later, he’d been to his physical therapy appointment and they’d told him he didn’t need the wheelchair anymore. Juwon had taken it when he’d left Chan at the dorm, and he’d never felt so damn free before in his life. He’d almost cried when Younhee had said he didn’t need to rely on it anymore, that he should be able to move around on his own and even run as long as he was careful about it and didn’t push himself. With red ears, he’d asked if that extended to other activities.

A sly grin had spread over her expression as she’d said, _‘Yes, you can have sex, and take a knot,' but sobered slightly, 'just be careful about helping any of your packmates with any ruts or heats. You’re still much more fragile than you would normally be. And more fragile than any omega.'_

He hadn’t asked any further questions, taking the warning and filing it carefully away to warn the others about later despite the fact that everyone else was on suppressants for their heats and ruts, as she’d advised him on his new exercises and his next visit. They were going to be working on his core more, but it was less about control and more about strength and stamina. He’d walked on his own out of the office then and it had felt better than good. 

He dropped onto the couch, reveling in the freedom of movement. Now he just had to wait for the pack to get back. He didn’t want to tell them over the group chat because this felt bigger than that. Maybe it wasn’t, but it felt like it to him. He didn’t have to wait long for anyone to get home though. He heard the door open not long after he’d turned on the TV and stood as he muted it, listening for who it was. He heard Minho and Changbin verbally sparring with one another as they took off their shoes and wandered into the main room. They stopped as they saw Chan standing there, clearly confused about why he was standing in the middle of the room and compounded when they didn’t see his wheelchair nearby. Chan smiled, “No more wheelchair.”

There was a beat, then the flip was almost instant and the next thing he knew he was being picked up by Changbin as they cheered, “Why didn’t you put it in the group chat?” Minho asked even as he hugged them both.

“Felt like it was something I should tell you in person,” he said, half hiding in Changbin’s shoulder even though he was awkwardly curled over the shorter.

The other beta’s strength had the ability to make Chan feel small at times, no matter their size differences. Right now, Changbin was hefting him as if he weighed nothing when he knew damn well he didn’t. “Fuck, I can finally mark you,” Changbin finally growled out.

“You’ve been waiting too?” Minho asked.

Chan raised his head, “I asked him to wait until I was walking. Is that why you haven’t marked me yet either?”

Minho shook his head, “I want to knot you after I’ve marked you.”

That made Chan’s breath stutter to a halt and Changbin breathed, “Oh fuck yes.”

Chan got his feet back under him, “They did clear me for sex.”

He watched as both of their pupils started to blow large and their scents took on the warm edge of want that he hadn’t quite gotten from them yet. “When are the others back?” Minho asked Changbin.

“Not for another two hours,” Changbin said as he licked his lips.

“Can we?” Minho asked Chan, one hand moving to his waist, fingertips ducking under his shirt to play over skin as he moved behind the drift beta to sandwich Chan between him and Changbin.

“B-both of you?” Chan asked, a bit surprised.

He really shouldn’t be that surprised. The entire pack had said they were down for everything up to orgies. The two glanced between one another but nodded. “If Minho’s going to knot you,” Changbin said as he reached up and pressed a thumb to Chan’s lower lip, “hope you don’t mind me taking your mouth.”

Chan felt a little something shift inside of him at the very idea. His lips parted enough for Changbin to slide his thumb in and press the pad of it to his tongue. The drift beta moaned, eyes going hooded as he tried to close his mouth around it, but Changbin pulled it out, settling it back on his lower lip, “Can we? Both of us?” he asked again.

“Yes, both of you,” Chan agreed in a low voice.

Minho arms wrapped around his middle. He could see Changbin lock eyes with Minho for a moment, then the alpha was asking in his ear, “Where do you want our marks?”

“You choose,” Chan said, nipping at Changbin’s thumb as he heard each purr.

Changbin let his hand slide away as he leaned in and Chan was suddenly glad he’d worn a wide necked shirt. The beta’s tongue laved over the tendons and muscles that joined his neck to his collarbones, kissing here and there just above Jisung’s mark. Minho put little nips and kisses at the turn of his neck to shoulder just above Hyunjin’s mark. Chan could only drop his head back on Minho’s shoulder to enjoy it, his hands gripping Changbin’s hips, needing something to hold onto. A moment later they each latched on sucking hard before teeth pressed into the bruised area. 

His fingers dug deep into Changbin’s hips and his knees went weak, Minho’s arms keeping him upright as the euphoria swept through him for a moment, leaving him panting softly. They pulled back, admiring their handy work for a moment, before beginning to shuffle him towards what he assumed was the bedroom. As they went, Changbin pulled him into a kiss, hands slipping up to tangle in his hair. 

The younger beta only pulled back long enough to remove Chan’s shirt, then his own, allowing their heated skin and still-clothed hips to press together in the next instant. Chan let out a low moan, “You feel good.”

Changbin ground his hips into Chan’s to press their arousals together, making Chan, and Minho behind him, groan again. He could feel Minho’s arousal pressing against this ass and Chan rolled his hips between the two of them. The alpha kissed along Chan’s neck as he met his movements and directed them to the bed, slipping out from behind Chan with a reluctant grunt and turning them. Changbin took to brushing his lips over the different marks that the pack had left on the leader, old and new, and his hands dropped to Chan’s ass, massaging each cheek. Chan shuddered as it made the fact that he was already wet very apparently, and he was sure that he was going to start seeping through his pants soon.

Minho trailed his fingers down Chan’s spine, making him shudder, “Both of you, pants off.”

They obeyed, fumbling to kick the last of their clothes to the side. Minho turned them as they went back to each other and he pushed Changbin down onto the bed with a small push of one hand. Chan didn’t need a cue for what Minho was getting at, dropping into the smaller beta’s lap readily. They returned to their kiss, Chan letting his legs settle on either side of the beta’s thighs while Changbin continued to play with his ass, fingers brushing over where his slick had spread across his skin. A low purr made them look to the head of the bed to find Minho watching them, eyes dark and a little grin on his face as he palmed the clear tent of his pants. 

Changbin snorted, “Should add voyeur to you kinks.”

“Plan to,” Minho said unapologetically.

Chan rolled his eyes and leaned down to licked over the mark Felix had left on Changbin’s shoulder, making the other beta shudder. Chan glanced at the new marks, fingers tracing them, “Who’s left for you?”

“Seungmin and Minho. Seungmin’s being sweet about it, like normal,” Changbin explained a bit shyly.

Chan smiled and brought him back in for one more kiss, before Chan slid back to let his knees gently hit the ground so he was kneeling between Changbin’s legs. He trailed kisses along the other beta’s chest, appraising the muscles there and letting his tongue lave attention over one of his nipples. Changbin’s breath hitched, and he filed that away, especially with how his cock jumped against Chan’s chest. 

The leader pulled back and looked up to the younger, “Where do you want me to mark?”

Changbin looked at him closely, then gestured to the defined curve of waist to hip. Chan grinned wide, “Kinky.”

“Oh, shut up,” Changbin grumbled.

Chan directed him down into a brief kiss, “I like it.”

That relaxed the younger beta and he leaned back onto his hands. As Chan moved back down Changbin’s torso, paying some extra attention to his pectorals again, Minho slid up behind the rapper and propped him up against him. Chan heard him murmured into Changbin's ear, “Can I mark you too?”

Changbin nodded quickly, “Yeah um… haven’t thought of where.”

Minho hummed, fingers moving to idly pinch one of his nipples, making him squirm. “How about here?” And set his teeth to the meat of his unblemished shoulder, “Not as sexy but, you still have Seungmin’s mark to get.”

The younger nodded, “All right.”

Chan and Minho locked eyes over his shoulder and Chan raised an eyebrow. Minho grinned, “I’m going to mark him when he comes.”

“Fuck,” Changbin whimpered and gripped the sheets tightly,

Chan grinned, “Perfect,” and leaned back down to attack his own chosen spot. 

Another moment and he sank his fangs into it, a long moan leaving the beta between them as he melted into Minho. Chan sucked on the bite as he pulled out his teeth and ran his tongue over it to sooth it. He peered up at the other beta, taking in his glassy-eyed look and slightly open mouth. The leader licked his lips and pressed a trail of kisses along his hip, until he licked at the head of his cock. Changbin’s hips jerked, trying to stay in place. Chan pulled back and scolded him, “Ah-ah, keep your hips still or you can’t have my mouth, Binnie.”

Changbin nodded quickly, pressing back into Minho again. The alpha let his hands trail over the younger beta’s chest, fingers occasionally teasing his nipples as his mouth closed over the skin of his shoulder, kissing and licked along it. Chan refocused himself to the length in front of him and let his mouth drop open to encase the head. He sucked lightly on it, drawing moans out of Changbin, before slowly taking more and more of the other beta. He dipped low, testing how much he could take and came back up for a breath, Changbin cursing, “Fuck, Chan… can you deep throat?”

The drift beta grinned licking his lips, and took Changbin in again, going a little further. Changbin whimpered and fought squirming as Chan repeated the process until he was able to take his entire length to the base and swallow around it. Changbin couldn’t help bucking at the feel, but he immediately stopped as Chan pulled off with a rough cough, “Sorry, sorry, fuck, sorry…”

Chan shook his head and leaned up to kiss him, “You’re fine, I like that. But when I’m a bit more recovered.”

“Fuck,” Changbin repeated, “remind me to put that on my list.”

Chan chuckled, voice still a bit rough, and Minho purred loudly behind Changbin. Chan glanced up at him and grinned coyly. He could see how the dancer was fighting to control himself, nails digging slightly into Changbin’s skin. The beta between them moaned, “Minho…”

“Tell me when you’re going to come,” Minho whispered in the smaller’s ear, “So I can be sure I do it right.”

For the first time in a very long time, Chan purred. Both above him snapped their heads to look at him, surprised. Chan very rarely growled, even rarer was a purr. He blinked, straightening a bit in shock at himself. Changbin’s hand shot out to curl under his jaw and tilt his head towards them, “That was fucking beautiful.”

The praise sent a shiver of pleasure through him and Changbin continued, “Want to hear you purr all the time, if I can.”

“Yes,” Minho agreed, giving him an answering purr. 

Chan relaxed, letting out another low purr before sinking back down Changbin’s body, and taking his cock into his mouth again. He set a careful pace, being mindful of his throat and drawing out the other beta’s orgasm, but the slow pace had the added effect of making Changbin squirm in Minho’s hold. He reached a hand up and took hold of the beta’s balls, massaging them in time with the dips of his head and letting a finger slide back along his perineum, making Changbin shudder. He could feel some of the other’s slick on the tips of his fingers, but he’d save that for another time.

Glancing up at Changbin then Minho, he hummed around the other beta’s length, and on the next down stroke purred. “Fuck!” Changbin yelled, “Minho—gonna—!”

Minho sank his teeth into Changbin shoulder as he came and Chan swallowed it down, eyes closed to make sure he didn’t miss any. Chan pulled back a moment later with one last suck, making the overly sensitive beta whimper, and licked his lips. Minho was licking at the wound, pulling back to admire it. Chan took Changbin’s hand and asked, “Good?”

“Fuck you, yes,” he half growled.

Chan laughed and Minho began to shuffle Changbin up more onto the bed. The beta grumbled but allowed himself lay out, still coming down off his high. Once he was laid out, Minho grabbed Chan by the waist and pulled him into his lap, letting their arousals grind together and remind Chan just how much he really did enjoy sucking someone off with how hard he was, before dragging him into a kiss that left Chan completely lightheaded and breathless. It wasn’t possessiveness; it was like Minho had been denied water for days and Chan was that first drink at the oasis. He only let the leader pull back when he was satisfied, and Chan was sure the only reason he was still upright was because Minho was holding him. 

“Fuck he tastes good on your lips,” the alpha murmured. “Still want me to knot you? It’s fine if you’re not ready yet,” he added.

Chan gave him a look, “Yes, I still want you to knot me.”

The alpha smiled wide and relieved, “Good, would you be more comfortable on your back? Or would you mind being on all fours?”

“You can get on all fours over me,” Changbin offered, “I’ll take care of you.”

The beta was leaning up on his elbows, still clearly relaxed from his orgasm, but not blissed out. Chan considered a moment, then said, “I like that idea.”

Minho kissed him a number of times before finally letting him slide away and climb over Changbin. He knelt down over Changbin’s thighs first and Minho moved behind him, letting his hands wrap around him to press to Chan’s stomach, one moving to encircle his cock, and the other to roll his nipple. He immediately moaned and Changbin’s hands settled on his legs and massaged the inside of his thighs, making Chan tremble as several areas he found particularly sensitive were explored.

Changbin was slower, letting his fingers press carefully into the sensitive muscles of Chan’s legs. Minho was mindful, watching each reaction and adjusting to try and make it a little better. Chan thrust forward into the alpha’s hands, gasps and moans leaving him as the alpha continued to work him over. “Minho,” Chan managed between heavy breaths, “are you giving me a hand job or are you going to fuck me?”

Changbin snorted beneath him, grinning widely. Minho nipped at Chan’s shoulder, “Can’t I do both?”

Chan made a noise between disgruntled and needy, making Minho huff, “Fine, Changbin, open him up for me.”

The younger beta licked his lips and let one hand on Chan’s thighs slide further up between his legs, give a passing squeeze to his balls, and tucked under to press a finger to his entrance. Changbin let out a breath, “He’s really fucking wet.”

“T-told you—ah!” Chan was cut off as Changbin pushed a finger all the way into him in one movement.

He arched and pressed his hips down, then bucked them forward into Minho’s hand. He could hear the dancer curse behind him, but he’d honestly forgotten how good it felt to have someone else pleasuring him, instead of just himself or a toy. His hand and toys were fun but having someone else to share the pleasure with was better. Changbin thrust his finger a few times before adding a second finger, pressing them deep.

Minho kissed his neck and murmured, “One second.”

Next the heat of the alpha was gone, and Chan glanced back with a whimper of dismay. Minho gave him a kiss and gestured to his very uncomfortable looking pants. The drift beta nodded with a little purr and turned back to Changbin. The younger beta was watching Chan with hooded eyes and heavy breath, his fingers exploring inside of Chan as he pressed them up into him. A loud keening whine left him as Changbin found that spot inside of him. “There it is,” the younger said quietly and pressed against the spot with his next thrust and added a third finger.

Minho was back at Chan’s back a moment later and he could feel the alpha’s cock press to his lower back, a condom and lube in place. Changbin removed his fingers, giving the alpha a nod of approval over his shoulder, and Minho pressed Chan forward until he was bent over Changbin, hands on each side of his head. He kissed Chan’s shoulders and back, asking, “This okay?”

Chan nodded, a little pill of nervousness finally settling into his stomach. Minho pressed a few more calming kisses to his skin, “I’ll go slow, tell me if I hurt you.”

“Okay,” he replied.

His eyes met Changbin and the other beta pulled him down into a kiss. He felt as Minho pressed to his entrance, a shallow thrust pushing the head in, then back out. He did a few like that, then finally began to fully enter Chan. He sank in slowly, a low growl leaving his throat, until he was in to the top of his knot. Neither of them were small, but where Changbin had girth, Minho had length, and he settled deep even without his knot. 

The alpha paused as Chan broke the kiss with Changbin and whimpered as he adjusted to the other. After a few moments, he rocked his hips back, pressing him a little more on to his cock and knot. It didn’t burn and as he relax a bit more, he signaled for Minho to start moving. Chan moaned as he slowly pulled out, then thrust back in, movements careful and practiced. The drift beta appreciated it, they could be wild and rough another time.

They set a rhythm, Minho thrusting deep while Chan and Changbin occasionally kissed, allowing Chan to slip deeper into the pleasure and the way he felt completely encompassed by the other two, and away from the anxiety of the idea that he was taking an alpha’s knot. 

As the thrusts got harder and deeper, they made Chan spread just a bit more on Minho’s knot, making Chan’s breath hitch slightly as it pulled him a bit more to the surface. Despite his earlier bravado, he couldn’t help a small, nervous whimper. Minho stilled, “Channie,” he said softly, a hand pressing to his lower back.

Chan shook his head, “I’m okay, keep going.”

“Not if it doesn’t feel good,” the alpha held his ground.

Chan raised himself up and turn as far as he could, kissing Minho for a brief moment. “It does feel good,” he said was they pulled apart, “I’m just nervous. It feels fucking amazing though.”

Minho sighed, a bit of relief making his shoulders drop slightly. Chan reached back and gripped Minho’s thigh, pressing back onto his knot a bit more and moaning. That made the alpha move again, and Chan dropped back down over Changbin. The younger was watching him closely, obviously being another point of affirmation for them both as his hands rubbed his sides. Chan smiled down at him, trying to convey just how much he loved them both since the build of pleasure was making it harder to think. Changbin just pulled him into another kiss as his hand went to Chan’s cock and began stroking it in time with Minho’s thrusts. 

He pulled back from the kiss with a whine as Minho’s knot finally slipped into him, it didn’t pop though, “Y-you didn—”

He couldn’t get out the words, but Minho gasped into his shoulder, “Only when you’re ready.”

“Fuck Minho, knot me you asshole,” Chan ground out, bucking his hips back into the alpha’s.

Changbin laughed and Chan felt the dancer’s grip on his hips tightened finally slammed forward hard and Chan came with a shout, body tightening around Minho impossibly as he shot across Changbin’s hand. He heard growled words from Minho, but all he could focus on was the way the alpha expanded inside of him.

This was nothing like the first time. This time it the stretch felt good. There was a low burn to it, but it didn’t hurt, he wasn’t panicking and feeling like he was being split apart. A few moments passed and he slowly came down from his own high, face buried in Changbin’s neck and his warm scent. That little pill of uncertainty made itself known again though, “Is… is it…?”

“That’s as large as I get,” Minho stuttered, breathing heavy.

That pushed the uncertainty aside and they took another moment, until Changbin nudged both of them, “Come on, on your sides, both of you.”

Minho curled around Chan instantly, pulling him to the side off of Changbin, and holding him close. Changbin stood and Chan whimpered, “You don’t need to go…”

Changbin stopped immediately and moved back over to kiss over his cheeks and lips, “I’m just going to go get something to clean up with. I won’t be gone long, I promise.”

Chan pulled in the irrational line of thought that said Changbin wasn’t returning and nodded, “All right, sorry.”

Changbin shook his head and gave him one last kiss before disappeared out to the hall and probably the bathroom. Chan curled back into Minho and after a long moment, said, “Thank you.”

“Was it good? I didn’t hurt you?” Minho asked, a bit quieter than he normally may have been and clearly still coming down off his own high.

“It was amazing. Not pain, a little burn, but I’m fine with a bit of that. I liked it,” he admitted.

Minho held him a bit tighter, kissing his shoulder. Changbin appeared a moment later, wet washcloths in hand. He quickly helped wipe both of them down, enough that if they fell asleep for any period of time it wouldn’t suck to wake up. Once the younger was in the bed Chan immediately pulled him close, whispering, “Love you both.”

“Love you both too,” Changbin said.

Minho made an agreeing sound and Chan promptly elbowed him in the side, “Oof, yes, sorry, love you both too.”

Changbin snickered and let Chan curl around him somewhat sleepily. They had a good twenty minutes to just snuggle, he was going to use every second of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *glaring determinedly at laptop*  
> Brain: *Trying to distract with cute things*  
> Me: *Starts writing the smut*.........  
> Brain: ...  
> Me: FUCK YES FINALLY  
> Brain: *Sighs* Oh well, here we go. *Gets a bigger solo cup of vodka*
> 
> This chapter is MUCH longer than I thought it would be, but breaking it down never really worked. So. Here it is, in all its 12 page glory. *Flails* 
> 
> I'm super nervous and it took me a bit to actually post this so... *hides*


	12. Coming Up For Air

Chan mumbled as he dozed, nose in Changbin’s hair to enjoy his firewood and chestnut scent with small purrs echoing from him as Minho’s hand gently rubbed his side and hip. They’d heard the others arrive home a bit ago, Felix peeking in but quickly ducking back out when he realized they were all half asleep and the room smelt very much like sex. He was sure the rest of the pack were theorizing what exactly had happened, but he didn’t mind too much. What he did mind was the somewhat sticky feeling he was starting to get between his legs. Changbin had cleaned them up, but that didn’t mean he could get everything. 

The drift beta shifted uncomfortably, and with a gasp, Minho slipped out of him, making them both groan. Catching his breath, Chan shifted onto his back so he could look at both of them. Once situated, he nuzzled Minho’s cheek, “We didn’t get to mark you.”

He could feel Changbin shift beside him, breath in his ear as he peered over Chan’s shoulder. Minho reached out to brush through Changbin’s hair as he kissed Chan's temple, “I know.”

“We could now? Or another time? What do you want?” Chan asked, not wanting the alpha to feel left out.

“Now is fine, I got everything I really wanted when I marked you both,” Minho said with a satisfied smile.

Chan chuckled and kissed his arm in appreciation as he turned more, “Mind if I mark your arm then?”

Minho hummed in agreement and Chan kissed the spot just above his elbow on his inner arm. Changbin wrapped an arm around Chan’s waist as the drift beta sucked hard on the spot before letting his teeth takeover. Minho groaned but sighed in contentment a moment later. Chan slowly pulled back and moved to sit up to let Changbin pull close to Minho. 

His hips voiced their complaints against their activities with a sore radiation of pain, but he ignored it in favor of watching Changbin curl close to Minho. It was a sweet, but slightly intoxicating sight to watch the smaller mark the alpha on his bicep, making the older laugh and squirm once the deed was done and he pressed into his neck. Chan didn’t want to interrupt them, but the pain in his lower back was not calming down, and he let out a small hiss of pain as their antics jostled him. It was nothing like it had been the previous weeks, but Minho and Changbin immediately turned to him and he quickly held up a hand to ward them off, “I’m fine, just a bit sore,” he explained, “nothing too much.”

“Have Jisung give you a back rub,” Changbin suggested as he sat up, “he’s been the best with those so far.”

Chan hummed, “I think a shower first, but you two—”

“We’ll take care of each other, Channie,” Minho said, leaning up and kissing him reassuringly. “Go get a shower, then get those muscles looked at, okay?”

Chan nodded reluctantly, kissing each of them one more time before standing carefully. He pulled on a pair of sweats and t-shirt, snatched up a set of clean clothes for after the shower and slipped out of the room. He didn’t notice the lull in ambient noise from the rest of the pack until he’d closed the door and looked up to several faces peering at him. He blinked at them and raised an eyebrow, “Hi…?”

“Did you guys…?” Jeongin asked, licking his lips from his spot curled up to Hyunjin.

Chan couldn’t resist the blush, “Yes.”

Hyunjin pushed himself up from laying across Jeongin on the couch, “Details.” 

The drift beta snorted, “How about we just wait till we have a go as well?”

Hyunjin reached for the bottom of his shirt, “I mean, if you’re good for round two…”

Chan was going to scold at the other that he was still recovering when he noticed Felix was peeking out of the kitchen. He glanced around for the other members, then squinted at the other Australian, “Felix… are you in the kitchen with Seungmin?”

Seungmin’s voice came from beyond the alpha, “Maybe?”

“Unless you’re doing a frozen meal, please remove yourselves,” he said firmly, “we don’t need a repeat of the casserole.”

Felix pouted, “It would have been fine if we’d just turned it down a bit.”

“You cooked it at 260 degrees Celsius, when it said 190. That’s more than ‘a bit’,” Chan argued.

“We thought it would just cook faster!”

“Out of the kitchen!”

The two younger groaned and removed themselves from the kitchen, Felix still pouting away while crossing his arms. “Is anything on the stove?” Chan asked, knowing by now that it was likely.

“No,” they both said.

“The oven?”

“No.”

“The microwave?”

“Yes. But we didn’t turn it on yet.”

“Ok, leave it unless Changbin or Minho come out to supervise.”

Felix grumbled but nodded while Seungmin sighed, “I really wanted to try the microwave college meals.”

Chan made an exaggerated shudder at the idea. It wasn’t that either of them were that bad on their own, Seungmin was actually pretty good. But together? That was the disaster. He ducked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It felt good to have the heated water sooth his muscles, but he could tell he’d overdone it a bit. He’d be sore for a while, but it was nothing like it would have been even just a week ago. He quickly cleaned up and redressed in the fresh clothes he’d grabbed, belatedly realizing one was Hyunjin’s bigger shirt. It wasn’t too much bigger, just hanging long on his arms, so he just shrugged and moved back into the main room.

He came out to Changbin glowering at a pouting Seungmin. Chan didn’t ask when he saw the mangled dishes in the sink and moved to begin cooking dinner. Changbin took that as his cue to take his turn in the shower, Minho sliding in after him after stealing a quick kiss from Chan. Once they were in the bathroom, the leader raised a hand to press at his lower back slightly, the soreness starting to bleed through a bit more now that he’d been out of the hot water for a while. There was a small scrambling sound that made Chan look up in surprise to find Jisung had seemingly to appeared out of nowhere beside him, “Babe? You ok?” The younger asked.

Chan gave a shocked laugh, “I’m fine, just sore.”

Jisung shot him a pinched look, “Where’s your wheelchair? I can help you cook.”

“Oh, um, so,” Chan reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I got caught up with, well… I don’t need it anymore. Juwon kept it.”

There was a pause, then, “Fuck yes!! Why didn’t you say earlier?”

The rest of the pack were now leaning into the kitchen, noises of agreement at Jisung’s question. “I wanted to tell you all in person. Then Minho and Changbin got home first and…” Chan moved Hyunjin’s slightly too big shirt to show his new marks.

He caught how Hyunjin’s eyes darkened sharply before he shook it off, “You’re not getting out of telling us about that. Or about how it’s really hot that you’re wearing my clothes.”

Chan glanced down, “It… is?”

“They’re just a bit big. It’s cute, and hot,” the other beta said.

The others looked him over and the scents in the room got heavier. He held up his hands, “Guys, um, flattered here, but there’s no way I’m doing more right now. I literally just took Minho’s knot barely an hour ago and I’m still recovering.”

That did not help.

“You took his knot?” Came Felix’s voice low in his chest.

Chan waved his hands in front of him, “Yes, but not the point. Recovering!”

“All right fine, then we continue celebrating you being out of the wheelchair,” Jisung said with a pout.

With no other warning, the alpha gave another cheer that was mimicked by the others after a moment and wrapped his arms around Chan, lifting him up suddenly and making the drift beta yelp in pain from the sudden movement. Jisung immediately put him down, “Oh shit, too much?”

“Just still not all there. I don’t need the wheelchair, but I’ve still got a lot of recovery to go. And this was the most activity I’ve done with my hips in a while…” Chan stammered out as his body righted itself and he leaned heavily on Jisung.

“All right, well, Hyunjin,” the alpha looked to the beta, “can you order food?”

Hyunjin nodded quickly and Jisung turned to Seungmin, “Dude, you’re still stuck with your dishes,” making the younger sigh.

“Everyone else, pamper Chan time!” Jisung finished out, Felix and Jeongin cheering.

“Pamper me? I’m fine, jus—” Chan was cut off as Jisung directed him towards the couch.

“You’re getting a back massage. Accept our attention!” Jisung demanded, playfully poking the other until he finally dropped onto the couch with a laugh.

Chan rolled his eyes, but let the smaller alpha manhandle him until he was lain out on his stomach. He straddled Chan’s thighs and pressed his thumbs carefully into the muscles of his hips and lower back. A moan left Chan and he melted at the feel of skilled hands working through the sore muscle. “I’ll get some heat packs,” Jeongin said, disappearing into the kitchen.

Felix settled by the couch in front of Chan, the edge of the couch just above where the drift beta was resting his chin and began working on his shoulders. Chan expected another moan to leave him. Instead, a long purr was heard, cut off by his own surprise. The dorm was silent for a moment, then, “Holy shit, that was amazing,” Jeongin said, halfway between the kitchen and the couch with activated heat packs.

Chan couldn’t help a dark blush as he hid his face in his hands and the couch, “That’s the second time today,” he whined.

“Second time? This happened while you guys were getting it on?” Felix asked.

“Yes,” came his muffled response.

“Is that bad?” Jisung asked behind him, voice a bit lower than normal.

“No, I’m not used to it though,” Chan admitted.

“It’s probably because you’re closer to omega right now,” Hyunjin piped up as he frowned at his phone, probably choosing where to eat, “I know I get a lot more vocal when I’m closer to omega.”

“That… would make sense,” Chan considered.

“You can talk to your doctor tomorrow. Right now, we’re pampering you, and you should absolutely purr more,” Felix said, kissing his forehead a few times.

Chan raised his head to say something, but Felix just kissed him firmly as Jisung’s thumbs dug in again. Chan promptly purred again and melted down into the couch, finally accepting their doting. 

The drift beta had relaxed into the attention of the other two for a few minutes, when he heard the door to the bathroom open and Felix’s hands pause. This close, he could smell just that smallest of something shift in the alpha’s scent and he opened his eyes again to glance up at the younger. He was focused on the two that had just appeared, Minho making Changbin laugh as he kissed the smaller neck playfully. Chan subtly tapped the younger Australian’s arm to get his attention enough to lock gazes. Felix ducked his head, clearly uneasy, one hand clenching in frustration.

His scent evened out and Chan looked at the other disapprovingly. “Not now,” the alpha said.

Chan considered for a moment, then nodded, “Not beyond tomorrow though.”

Felix nodded reluctantly and focused back on Jisung and Felix’s hands and how they relieved the remaining tension in his muscles.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan didn’t need to wait that long though. The next morning, he woke to the younger Australian climbing into his bed and wrapping around him with a pensive expression. Chan wrapped his arms around him in return and asked quietly, so as not to wake anyone else up, “What’s wrong Lixie?”

Felix’s frown deepened, but he spoke anyway, “I think... I was—am? Jealous? But I’m not, I know Minho knotted you, I knew it would be happening, and that Changbin would get his mark. I could just smell both those things and was fine until I saw them. I don’t like that I felt... I’m not sure how I felt really.”

Chan stroked his hair back, “Are you still feeling it now?”

“Kind of, but it’s more in the background,” he said with a huff.

“Was it the fact that he knotted me first? Or that Changbin was involved?”

“I think both, which is awful, I know,” and Felix look genuinely mad at himself.

“Don’t get angry at yourself, Lixie. That’s not going to help you understand why or how to change it into something better,” Chan tried to coax the younger out of it quickly.

The alpha took a moment, seeming to examine his thoughts, “I wanted to be involved, even if just a little. I do want to knot you and Changbin, and everyone. And I want to make it good. But how do I do that if I don’t see it? If I’m not… involved?”

Chan tried to think on how to approach the topic, “There are other ways to address inexperience and watching may not be the best one. If you watched us, would you be learning, or getting yourself off?”

A blush quickly covered his cheeks, “Yeah, you’re probably right there. I hadn’t thought about that.”

Chan chuckled lowly, “I can take an alpha knot, but you need practice controlling your reaction when you pop your knot. Minho’s pretty good at it, so I want you to talk to him, candidly, about how you’re feeling and how he may suggest going about learning. And talk to Changbin to see if it’s even something he wants to do.”

Felix nodded slowly, “And… the others?”

“What about who?” 

“The other betas. Seungmin, and Hyunjin?” 

“What of them?” Chan asked with a tilt of his head.

“Will you be teaching them?”

“When, and if, they want to learn, yes. I’m not going to teach them just because you want to knot them,” Chan said, a bit harsher than he meant.

Felix ducked his head again, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that. I just want everyone to be safe and for it to be good.”

Chan tipped Felix’s head up to look at him better, “I know, you want to make sure everyone’s experience is good. You don’t want to disappoint or make anyone hurt. But we’re all going at our own pace, right?”

The alpha nodded, then burrowed into Chan chest and neck. He wrapped his arms tightly around the younger and was about to close his eyes, when Felix spoke in a muffled voice, “What if an alpha wants to take a knot?”

“That is a more complicated conversation and uncharted territory. If you’re seriously thinking about taking anyone’s knot, we’ll talk when it’s not before dawn,” Chan said into the younger’s bleached hair.

Felix nodded into his skin and they both eventually drifted back to sleep.

~~~/~~~/~~~

It was decided that they would all go out for barbecue the next night as a quiet celebration of him no longer needing the wheelchair. They’d already had one big one for him getting out of the hospital, a smaller one was fine for this. Especially since everyone was starting to get busy. A lot of people were gearing up for comebacks, they had their Japanese debut shortly, along with an MV shooting. Getting everyone together again was too much and he wanted to celebrate this more with his pack mates than anyone else. They’d been there for every step of the recovery, it was a celebration for their help as well. 

So, as they’d wrapped up production and a vlive, they’d set out to one of their favorite spots, management helping to keep fans occupied while they slipped away. Now, four of his packmates were to his left, Changbin arguing about what to order with Minho and Jisung, while Felix unintentionally arbitrating the ordeal. Chan had given up trying to mediate it when they got into the restaurant and it’d only got worse. It was endearing though, and a pretty normal thing for the four. Seungmin had taken to wrapping an arm around Chan, keeping close to the drift beta’s side while they settled in, Jeongin next to him and Hyunjin across the table.

“Well, if you guys don’t choose something soon,” Chan started, “I’m just ordering whatever I want.”

He did a little happy dance in his chair as he looked over the menu. The four on his left seemed to pause in their argument, then Felix said, “Well, why don’t we do that? This is for you anyway.”

Chan looked up in surprise, having not actually meant it since he knew that there were plenty of things he liked that they didn’t, “What? No, no! I was joking, order what you guys want.”

“Hmm,” Seungmin said beside him, “I think that’s a good idea.”

Chan stuttered through trying to convince them otherwise, “Guys, no, really, it’s fine!”

“How about we get at least one of everything?” Jeongin suggested excitedly.

“Knowing us, we’ll finish it all,” Changbin said with an approving shrug.

“Except the spicy stuff…” Felix said with a grimace.

“You have to try some of the spicy food!” Jisung demanded, pointing at the younger.

Seungmin squinted at him, “You just want to see us suffer.”

“Yes,” Jisung said without hesitation.

The table burst into laughter and Chan was distracted enough that he didn’t notice that Hyunjin had ordered until he started taking away their menus. Chan blinked up at him as the younger rapper took the menu in his hands, looking up at him quizzically. Hyunjin smiled broadly and Chan realized what he had done. He sighed through a smile and let him have the menu, Hyunjin just blew him a kiss.

The hand around his waist rubbed his side and the small of his back soothingly. He was still sore from the previous day, and he would definitely need to be careful in the coming days of that. A hand landed on his thigh, and he glanced over at Jisung, smiling at the way the younger beamed up at him. A second later he felt a leg sprawl out and lean against his own, he glanced up to a grinning Hyunjin and just shook his head before settling in to enjoy the meal and Felix and Seungmin's suffering through spicy food. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *Tries to drag brain away from fluff* We finally got to smut! You can't just go back to all fluff!!  
> Brain: Fucking watch me bitch! *Clings harder, still managing to sip bailey's and coffee*  
> Me: Fine! Can I at least have some plot device?  
> Brain: *Considers* Fine, you can have one.  
> Me: Excellent :3  
> Brain: Fuck.


	13. For Careful Intimacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated again!

Changbin watched Felix with a small frown as the younger chewed nervously on his lower lip. He’d taken the alpha out for a walk in one of the nearby parks, slipping away from sasaengs through one too many alleyways to get some privacy for them. He’d noticed that Felix had been somewhat avoiding him the last few days. They were busy with preparations to go to Japan now that Chan was able to get around easier, though he still wasn’t dancing, and there was a physical therapist they’d found with good qualifications to continue his recovery in Tokyo. To top it off Changbin had his own uncertainties about having gotten carried away with Minho and Chan when he’d told them he was walking again. He’d had other plans for that entire scenario, but it had all turned out differently. That didn’t mean Changbin hadn’t noticed the younger’s minor change in behavior in the middle of all everything though.

Aside from Chan and Hyunjin, Felix was easily the most physically affectionate of them, so Changbin often took extra notice of how the younger seemed hesitant to touch them, especially him and Minho. The beta sighed, “What’s going on Felix?” He asked worriedly.

The Australian looked up at him in surprise, then slumped, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I’ve been… a bit lost in my own head,” Felix admitted, pulling close to the beta.

“Can you tell me over what?” Changbin didn’t want to push Felix, but if it was a problem with him, he’d rather address it head on. 

“Yeah, it’s just—” he paused again, seeming to look for the words, “I guess I just nervous about asking you this.”

The beta nodded, “It's all right, take your time.”

Felix took a deep breath and leaned into whisper into his ear, “I really would like to knot you.”

Changbin pulled back in shock and looked around, positive no one had heard but still paranoid. “Really?” He finally asked, face significantly redder now.

Felix nodded quickly, “Yes, I’ve talked to Chan about it. I’m still really insecure about my… lack of experience. I really want to be able to knot you, and the others, and make it good. We’ve done plenty together, but I feel like knotting is on a completely different level for me. I’m going to talk to Minho for help, and I need to make sure you want it as well.”

The smaller blew out a heavy breath, “I understand. But I really want that as well.”

The alpha relaxed visibly, “I’m not being too much too soon?”

“Not for me,” Changbin assured him. “Is that why you’ve been… less affectionate?”

The alpha grimaced, “Yeah, I’m just worried about coming off strong. Minho and Jisung seem so smooth about it all, and I feel… Well, I mean, you were most of my firsts, and I tend to be zero or one hundred in a lot of things.”

Changbin tried to hold back a grin, remembering how the alpha had almost given him a bloody lip from biting on down too hard when they’d first started making out, “Yeah, we’ll work through it though. If you’ve already talked to Chan and are going to talk to Minho, then I think we’ll be going in the right direction.”

Felix’s worried expression broke into a beaming smile at that and he leaned in for a kiss. Kissing Felix was always sweet in the beginning, but often ended a bit darker. When they’d finally decided to give each other their virginity, it’d been awkward as hell the first time. However, the second time around had been more exploratory, and Changbin loved the way that something heavier in his kisses just seemed to intensify. Felix was still endlessly sweet ninety-five percent of the time, and he loved that just as much as he loved the rougher moments. They parted and both glanced around, realizing just how dangerous this was. “Come on,” Changbin said, “we can go to that café with the cute mascots.”

The alpha nodded quickly, “Yes!”

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan looked up from his laptop as Felix stepped into the bedroom with Changbin a step behind him. Minho, who had been reading on his bed, looked up as well. “Hey,” the older alpha said, “you guys need anything?”

Changbin wrapped an arm around Felix as a way to encourage him. “Um, so,” Felix started, “we talked over a few things. And we would like you both to help us with that whole me controlling myself when knotting and Changbin taking a knot.”

Chan smiled proudly at the young alpha while Changbin squeezed his side, giving him a little boost of courage. The drift beta glanced over at Minho, who was still surprised. Chan picked up the stuffed animal he had beside him and threw it at the older alpha’s head. Minho sputtered, “Sorry, sorry! I’ve been helping Jisung with the same thing, but it still throws me off….”

“You really should get used to it,” Chan pointed out.

“And you’re already used to it?” The alpha teased back, taking a moment to stick out his tongue at the older as he blushed before turning back to Felix and Changbin. “So, I take it one... of you talked to…?”

“I talked to Chan,” Felix offered, “I was struggling with my own inexperience and brought up my feelings to him. He helped me work through them.”

“You’re good now?”

Felix nodded again, “Well, still insecure, but I feel better about handling it now that I’ve talked about it.”

Minho nodded, “Well, I have a few ideas then. I don’t think your control is all that bad, especially if you and Changbin have fucked and you resisted trying to knot him.”

“It was…hard,” Felix said.

Changbin and Chan both snorted while Minho fought a smile and Felix rolled his eyes. Minho sobered quickly, “But you still did it. That’s step one. I have a few ideas, but I learned by trial and error. I’d rather you not learn the same way, so give me a bit to think on it, ok?”

Felix nodded quickly, bouncing onto the balls of his feet, “Yes! Okay! Thank you!”

“As for Changbin,” Chan piped up, “we’re gonna talk toys.”

Felix turned a brilliant shade of red, making Minho burst out laughing. Changbin cleared his throat, “Toys?”

“Yes,” Chan affirmed and beckoned him over.

Changbin moved to sit on the bed near Chan, Felix hovered uncertainly, “Do you want me to stay or…?”

The beta reached out his hand to the alpha and pulled him down next to him when he took it. Chan nodded and smiled in approval. Minho cleared his throat and stood, “I’m just gonna…”

“What, you don’t want to stay?” Chan teased.

The blush on Minho's face spread and darkened as he swallowed thickly, “I won’t be much help.”

Chan raised an eyebrow. Minho looked petulant as he admitted, “Look, I may have figured out recently that I have a thing for toys. Blame Hyunjin.”

The drift beta just laughed, silently making a mental note to ask the other beta. “Fine go,” and shooed the oldest alpha off.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan laid out on his bed and sighed. The conversation with Felix and Changbin had been long and a bit complicated. They all had ‘homework’ to do and would come back to him and Minho when they felt ready to move forward. But it had been good that they came to them about what they wanted to do and how to go about it. Though it had left everyone very horny and unfortunately Chan did not have the stamina to handle a foursome at the moment. Just one of them? Sure. Three people? No. 

So, Minho had agreed to take them down to the dance studio and have them work out some of their energy there. He hoped that worked, if it didn’t Chan felt sorry for the night staff.

“Channie-love,” came Hyunjin’s sing-song voice as he slid into the room, letting the door close behind him as he climbed into Chan’s bed and laid out across him with a happy hum.

The drift beta smiled while wrapping an arm around the younger, “Hey Jinnie-love. I thought you were out with Seungmin and Jeongin?”

“We were, we got back a bit ago, but you were talking with Felix, Changbin, and Minho. Now Jeongin and Seungmin are playing video games and I wanted to check on you,” he said truthfully.

Chan frowned, “I’m not giving off distress scents without knowing it, am I?” Knowing he might be tired enough for it.

He was still understanding how to figure out just how strongly his scent affected others. So, it was a relief when Hyunjin shook his head, “No, but I can tell that was a pretty involved conversation. Can you tell me what it was about?”

“Yeah, Felix wants to be able to knot us and make it feel good. It’s playing into his insecurities a lot. Nothing too serious, but he and Minho will be spending some… ‘quality time’ together,” he said, making quotations in the air.

Hyunjin laughed at that, “Sure, ‘quality time’. And I take it you’re helping Changbin?”

“Mm-hm,” Chan peeked down at him, “are you interested in the same?”

Hyunjin deflated a little, looking pensive, “I probably won’t need the help.”

Chan tilted his head in confusion, “Why?”

“I… wasn’t entirely truthful when we were talking about our experience. I didn’t… I wasn’t comfortable saying it in front of the others,” his voice quieted, and he didn’t look at Chan.

Chan pursed his lips, “Hyunjin, I said you didn’t have to tell us anything in that moment. I do want to know, at least as your leader and to make sure everyone is safe, but if you don’t want everyone else to know, that’s fine.”

“You won’t like it.”

“Maybe not, but it’s in the past. If it’s something you need help getting through, something not—”

“No!” Hyunjin said, a bit too loud, shaking his head vehemently, “nothing like that. I promise.”

Chan hushed him softly, kissing his brow while he put out as much relaxing scent as he could, “It’s okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply something untrue. I just wanted you to know that we’re here for you.”

“Sorry, I know,” Hyunjin said, the panic leaving him, “I just don’t want you to think of him like that. We were close once, and I want to respect that, even if we aren’t now. We started fooling around when he presented, which was just after I did. He was a beta too, but he was really far on the alpha spectrum. One time it just kind of happened. He had a pretty good sized knot for a beta, though not enough to hurt.”

“When was this?” Chan asked curiously, because he couldn’t think of anyone recently that Hyunjin would have been close with like that and Hyunjin had never mentioned his exact age when he presented.

“Umm, when I was like… sixteen? We were way too young and we stopped pretty quickly because we were afraid we’d get caught.”

Chan considered the information for a moment, a hand rubbing Hyunjin’s back calmingly as his scent sharpened with panic again, “Well, you’re right that I’m not happy with how young you were, but I’m not mad. And I’m certainly not going to shame you for what you did in the past,” he reassured the other beta, “Is that what you were afraid of?”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin said quietly, “we were underage and doing things we shouldn’t have been.”

“You were, but we can’t change it now and scolding you for it won’t help. I’d like to think you’re smarter now though,” and raised an eyebrow at him.

The other beta nodded quickly, “Yes, I think it’s why I’ve been so careful with Innie. I don’t regret what I did back then, but I don’t condone it either. We were too young.”

Chan smiled proudly at him, “Good. That was years ago though, what makes you think you can take an alpha knot?”

“I’ve been using toys for a while now.” Hyunjin explained bluntly, even though it spread a blush of red over his cheeks, “I really liked taking his knot. So, when I could, I went and got some toys to experience it again.”

The drift beta looked impressed as he peered down at the younger, “Well, then you can probably help Changbin, and Seungmin if he wants to do the same.”

“Mm, I’m happy to. Changbin will look good taking a knot,” Hyunjin’s voice dropped and Chan got a nose full of the other’s sandalwood scent, just deepened into something that made the arousal he’d been fighting down for the last hour or so, stir again. 

There was a shift and Hyunjin lifted himself until he was on his hands and knees above Chan. “Bet you took Minho’s like a fucking pro,” and slipped a knee between Chan’s legs.

The drift beta shuddered as his half hard cock met Hyunjin’s thigh, hips rolling up in a smooth motion as he whimpered. The other licked his lips, “Let me take care of you, Channie?”

Chan nodded, “Yes, please.”

The only way to describe the smile that spread over Hyunjin’s lips was beaming and hungry all at once. He leaned in quickly and kissed Chan, there was something sweet about the kiss that made Chan’s entire chest warm. The younger was attentive, a hand carding through Chan hair and playing with the curls as his kiss slowly built that warmth south with each play of lips, tongue, and fingers. He only pulled back when Chan’s hands moved to his hips and dug in slightly, looking for more friction for his growing arousal. “No,” Hyunjin said, voice settling deep in his chest, “put your hands on the pillow, love. I get to take care of you, right?”

Chan licked his lips but did as he was told and brought his hands up to grip the pillow his head was on, “Right,” he agreed breathlessly.

Then Hyunjin was kissing him again, one hand still in Chan’s hair while the other dipped beneath his shirt and spread out across his stomach, stroking the smooth skin there. The hand traveled up until the pads of his fingers rested over one nipple and the younger began rolling it over between them, pinching slightly then soothing it before repeating the process. Chan’s body arched up, pushing into the stimulus. The hand pushed Chan’s shirt the rest of the way up to gather high on his chest, pulling away from the kiss just to nudge his chin up with his nose and kiss his jaw and neck a few times. 

The hand in his hair slid away, and Chan whined at the loss. Hyunjin pulled back up and kissed Chan again, “I’ll give you all the kisses and hair touching and pulling when I’m fucking you, promise.”

The single sentence went straight to his cock and Chan nodded. Hyunjin grinned but Chan didn’t pay it much mind as he gave him one last kiss, then trailed down to kiss the center of his sternum. One hand went to the drift beta’s hips, controlling his movement, while the other pressed to his side and lips sealed around an already sensitive nipple. Chan moaned long and low as Hyunjin toyed with it, teeth scraping here and there for an extra jolt from Chan, then sucking hard before releasing it and soothing it with his tongue. “Holy fuck, Hyunjin,” Chan barely managed.

The other beta pulled back, grinning wide, “No one’s paid them too much attention, have they?”

“N-not like this, didn’t think it would be this g—ah!” Chan didn’t get to finish the sentence as Hyunjin bent back down to the nipple, set his teeth onto the edges and sucked hard.

Chan arched up off the bed, his tossing his head back and gripping the pillow tightly. Hyunjin released it, allowing Chan to drop back down. He was sure there would be a mark left behind, but he just didn’t care. The younger peered down at Chan with a smug expression, before dipping down to the other. Chan knew he babbled something out, but it dissolved into a groan as the other received similar treatment, the previously abused one being toyed with by skilled fingers until Hyunjin sat fully back, admiring the state Chan was in. 

Hyunjin bit his lip as he looked over Chan, “You look so good like this, Chan. I can’t believe I’ll get to see you like this more. And in heat…”

That sent something through Chan and he felt his arousal jump against the younger’s thigh. Hyunjin’s eyes darkened, “Fuck, yes, you’re going to have heats closer to an omega’s. We’re going to make you feel so good, love.”

Hyunjin pressed his thigh forward, giving Chan more to rock against for a moment. Then he was sliding down Chan’s body again, hands tugging at and successfully pulling off the lower portion of Chan’s clothes and tossing them aside. His reddened cock sat heavy on his stomach, and Hyunjin slid a hand down to encircle it, giving it a hard pump.

Chan bucked into the hand, moaning out his pleasure. The younger laid down a trail of kiss until he reached to head of Chan’s cock. He glanced up at the drift beta, grinned, then kissed the head. Chan shuddered and gripped the pillow tighter, which he wasn’t sure was going to survive much longer, as Hyunjin began to kiss and lick along the underside. 

He had to fight not to buck up into Hyunjin’s mouth when he took him entirely. He was damn good with his tongue, that much was clear, but as he took Chan a bit too deep, he pulled back quickly, coughing. Chan reached a hand down and stroked his hair, “Deep breath, use a lot of spit at first, then swallow slowly when you take more.”

Hyunjin listened, looking up at Chan intently, “You can…?”

A grin spread over Chan’s lips, “Ask Changbin.”

Hyunjin whimpered, “Changbin and Minho? At the same time?”

“Not yet, but I’d like to,” he admitted, licking his lips at the thought.

“Fuck, fuck Chan, I need to see that,” Hyunjin practically whined.

“You’ll get to, we’re only just starting this, remember?” Chan reassured him.

Hyunjin nodded and turned his head to kiss Chan’s palm, then nipped at it lightly, “This goes back on the pillow.”

Chan laughed and raised it back up and promptly had the breath knocked out of him as Hyunjin sank back down on his cock. The other beta was a quick study, taking into account what he could, though he would need practice. It was enough that he didn’t notice where Hyunjin’s hand had gone until a finger pressed inside of him. He cursed and pushed his legs open a little wider, chewing on his lower lip as the finger went in smoothly, aided by the slick leaving him. The younger pumped it into him a few times, before adding a second to help in the stretch and search. 

It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for though, pressing over that spot deep inside of Chan that made him melt back into the bed. Their eyes met from where Hyunjin peered up at him, mouth still full, but he could see the grin. Chan was going to make a comment, but the younger beat him to it, thrusting his fingers deep and hard into that spot. The pleasure coiled tightly in his stomach for a moment, but then the fingers pulled back, stealing any satisfaction they may have brought. They re-entered him more purposefully this time, massaging the spot when they found it again and making Chan squirm. 

“H-Hyunjin… I’m not going to last like this,” Chan forced out.

The younger pulled back reluctantly, sitting back and looking over Chan to admire his handy work. He bit his lip and smiled in satisfaction before leaning over to grab a condom, kissing Chan as one hand rummaged through the side table, “Can I fuck you, Chan?” He asked just inches from Chan’s lips.

“You had better, or I’ll do it for you,” came Seungmin’s voice from the doorway.

Chan blinked widely as his head whipped over to look at the younger, with Jeongin just behind him. He hadn’t even heard the door open, too wrapped up in Hyunjin. Hyunjin turned just as quickly as Chan, looking at them widely, “The hell Minnie, Innie! You’re killing the mood!”

“Only person killing the mood is you,” Seungmin shot back, pulling Jeongin with him into the room. “He can fuck you, right, Chan?”

Chan couldn’t help laughing at the casualness of the singer, one hand moving to cover his mouth, as he nodded, “Yes, he can! How lo—”

He didn’t finish as Hyunjin took hold of his hips and dragged him down the bed into his lap then sank into Chan with a slow thrust of his hips, making any questions he may have posed to Seungmin die in his throat. Once settled, Hyunjin bent back over the drift beta and leaned on his elbows, covering Chan with his taller body and kissed him again. Fingers tangled in Chan hair, making good on the promise that Hyunjin would get back to all the kisses and hands in his hair that he loved, as the younger began to slowly roll his hips into Chan.

The kiss broke as they heard a low moan beside them. Jeongin was sitting between Seungmin’s legs, with the older vocalist’s hands down his sweatpants as he watched Chan and Hyunjin with hooded eyes and a slightly open mouth, another little moan falling from his full lips. Seungmin kissed his neck and grinned at Chan. 

Hyunjin chuckled and blew them a kiss, making Chan laugh again, before pulling his attention back to their current position as Hyunjin began thrusting into Chan. Every movement was methodical, and the other beta arched his back, sandwiching Chan’s arousal between them and allowing it friction as Hyunjin fucked into him. The movement of his hips were slow and aimed at the spot inside of Chan that made pleasure coil up his spine. Chan let his hands gripped the younger’s upper arms next to his head, hanging on while he was encompassed by the other. 

Chan finally wrapped his legs around Hyunjin’s waist, urging the other to go a little faster. He whimpered into the kiss when it didn’t work, hoping to cue the other for more. Hyunjin was determined to go at his pace though, seemingly more interested in drawing it out. Chan pulled away from the younger’s lips, gasping for breath, “H-Hyunjin, please, please, I nee—” 

He cut off as Hyunjin shifted his hips and thrust hard into him, making Chan cry out. “I know,” he whispered against Chan’s lips.

The hands tangled in his hair tightened, making him moan again. He heard an answering moan from beside them and he couldn’t help glancing over to see Jeongin with his head dropped back on Seungmin’s shoulder, hips bucking into his hand, while the beta’s hand pumped his now-exposed length. Seungmin was on his knees, his own hips rolling against Jeongin’s back. Chan whimpered and Hyunjin chuckled, “Hot, aren’t they?” 

Chan nodded, “They look good,” he managed between breaths and thrusts.

A soft purr came from the beta above him and Chan answered it with a similar one as his thrusts quickened, still purposeful and deep, but it was that little extra Chan was looking for. It didn’t take much longer for Chan to reach his climax, painting their stomachs and chests as Hyunjin slowly leaned back, grabbed his hips and thrusting into him a few more times before giving a short cry as he came as well, hips stuttering before coming to a halt deep inside of Chan.

Hyunjin held himself up above Chan, both of their chest’s heaving as Hyunjin looked over to the two youngest, “Was it a good show?”

Chan looked over to see both of them catching their breath, one of Seungmin’s hands clearly covered in what had to be Jeongin’s come. The youngest looked up, grinning slowly and nodded, “You were both amazing.”

“Next time, when I’m not so exhausted, you’ll have to join us,” Chan said off-handedly.

The comment made Hyunjin’s cock jump inside of Chan, making the drift beta gasp and look up at Hyunjin as he murmured, “Fuck.”

Chan caught his breath, grinning up at him. Hyunjin licked his lips, “I really want to see our alphas knot you.”

“Got a kink?” Chan teased.

“Yes, I want everyone here and involved eventually, when you're fully recovered. Though on the topic of kinks, if I could find a way to get you to walk around with a knotted dildo for a day, I would,” Hyunjin illustrated, biting his lower lip.

The last part made Chan look up at Hyunjin in surprise. He could only swallow thickly at the idea, but Hyunjin caught it, a slow grin pulling across the younger’s expression. A whimper came from the other two in the room and a low ‘Hell yes,’ and Chan knew he would have to watch out for that in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HyunChan and ChangLix are surprisingly easy for me to write. Like, damn, okay, will write more of that.
> 
> On a different note, when did this reach 300+ kudos? How...? It was literally 4 chapters ago that we got over 200. Welp, so you all know: YOU'RE ALL BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING AND THANK YOU!
> 
> Edit Note: Edited a minor issue I found with the conversation flow at the end. Nothing big but figured I'd note it for anyone that's read it already.


	14. Continued and Resolved Mishaps

“Ahh!!” Chan cried out as Jackson snatched him up in a hug and proceeded to twirl him around.

He tried to tuck his feet, but he was too surprised to do much but flail before the older set him down again. He had been just outside the JYP building, coming back from getting some food with some staff, when the older had come out of nowhere to catch him in the exaggerated hug. He could hear some of the fans that hung around outside the building yelling. It intensified when the rapper kissed his hair with an over the top ‘Mwah!’

Chan scrunched his face up like a grossed-out child and leaned away as Jackson went for another kiss, making him laugh before dragging him into the building, “Channie! I haven’t seen you in so long!”

“It’s been a few weeks, not months,” the drift beta answered with a laugh. “You didn’t need to put on a show.”

“Eh, it gets them off the theories about your pack courting for the moment. Now they’ll speculate that I’m leaving GOT7 and plan to drag you away from the Skz pack or something like that,” Jackson said with a shrug.

Chan snorted, “Over your pack’s dead bodies.”

“And your pack’s too,” Jackson said with a smile.

A blush spread over Chan’s cheeks. They kept their Marks of Intent hidden, unless they were back at the dorm. Even at a recent photoshoot they had made sure to cover them up with makeup beforehand, just in case. Jackson poked his cheek, an arm still over his shoulders, “I forgot how cute you were when you blushed.”

That made Chan pout.

“And when you pout,” Jackson added.

“Are you just here to tease me?” Chan asked as he batted the other’s hand away.

“Nah, I did have a question though. Are you going to your studio?” The alpha asked nonchalantly.

Chan nodded, “Yeah, only for a little while though. There are other things I need to go through with management.”

“Ah, Jaebeom would be proud. You being a responsible leader and all,” the older looked proudly at Chan.

The drift beta rolled his eyes, “What’s on with you? It’s not like me being responsible is new.”

Jackson shrugged, “Just haven’t seen you in a while. And with everything that’s been going on, I figured I’d check up on you.”

Chan gave him a skeptical look but shook it off and opened his studio door as they reached it. It was smaller than his other one but was quicker and easier to get to, which took precedence over the larger studio. Chan dropped down into his chair and Jackson took the other, “Well, welcome to my studio?” He said uncertainly, not quite sure what Jackson wanted to talk about.

He thought they’d worked everything out between the packs pretty well over the last couple of weeks. And now that he and his pack were getting more intimate, it had helped relieve more of the tension and redirect some of the more upset members until the steam had blown completely off. Yugyeom was hanging out with them more again, BamBam often along for the ride, and he was sure other members of GOT7 would start coming along again as well. 

So, he didn’t really expect the way Jackson nervously wrung his hands together and started, “I just… really wanted to make sure you guys are being safe about…”

Chan squinted as the elder stumbled over his words and realization crept in, “About…? Jackson are you trying to ask me about our sex lives?”

Jackson gave him a comically pinched face, “I am asking about a specific part of your sex life. The one that may have gone wrong at one point?”

There was a beat of silence, then Chan cleared his throat, “Yes, we are—we have—… Yes.”

He cut himself off from fumbling more, then promptly let his forehead drop to the desk and gave a half yell of frustration and embarrassment as the memory was brought up yet again, “I thought we didn’t talk about it!”

Jackson’s voice was muffled, “I mean, I know, but I couldn’t not ask!”

“You could absolutely not ask!” Chan said, reaching over to grab one of the many large plushies that Felix left in the studio and threw it at the rapper who was hiding in his hands.

“I was worried!” Jackson yelled back, warding off the plushie and eventually grabbing hold of it to clutch to his chest instead, pouting up at Chan.

“I’m fine, Jackson,” he finally calmed down enough to say, face still red and not looking at the other, “They know it didn’t end well and have been really sweet and mindful of it.”

Jackson blew out a relieved breath, “Do they know who?”

“Hyunjin might, but I’ve made sure he won’t tell anyone,” Chan paused, finally looking over at the alpha. “Are you ever going to tell any of the other GOT7 members aside from Jaebeom?”

Jackson made a strange wheezing sound, “Are you kidding me? They were so pissed off about you limping when they figured out what it meant. I was just lucky I had to be in China and they didn’t see me limping for as long as I was.”

"Did you ever think maybe they would have been just as worried about you?" Chan asked, watching the other closely.

"Maybe? Now, yes. But back then..." Jackson held the plushie a bit closer, resting his chin a top it.

Chan sighed softly, “All right. Just remember, that ‘hide it if you don’t like it’ mentality is what got you guys in trouble before. I’m not saying you need to go and announce it, but if it comes up… You have my permission to tell them.”

Jackson gave him an odd look, “I don’t see how it would come up naturally, but I get what you’re saying.”

The drift beta smiled and rolled his chair over to Jackson and kissed his temple, “No repeats of the secrets and self-loathing you all did, ok?”

Jackson smiled, “We’re trying, I promise.”

Chan nodded his approval and was about to tell the other that he needed to get to work, when Jackson asked, “Oh yeah, do you and any of your pack want to join me and some friends at the gym?”

The younger looked up and paused in consideration, “I think so, I’ll pass the invitation along. I still have a lot of restrictions, so that makes going to the gym difficult sometimes.”

Jackson nodded thoughtfully, “If you need help with anything, let me know. Especially if none of your pack can come.”

Chan nodded and smiled widely at him, “Thanks. Now, unfortunately, I do need to get to work.”

Jackson laughed and nodded, setting the plushie aside before pulling Chan into a hug and quietly slipping out of the studio to let the younger work.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Jisung kissed Changbin’s hair as they sat on the floor of one of the training rooms, the alpha’s arms wrapped securely around the elder’s shoulders as they hid, the beta leaning back against his chest. They’d disappeared into the room after Changbin and Chan had finally gotten away from a few too many planning sessions with a mixture of managers, marketers, and producers, and Jisung had pulled him into the first empty room he found to give them a few moments peace. Jeongin and Felix had dragged Chan off in another direction for what he assumed was something similar. The two betas were the ones that handled a lot of the management side of things. Jisung did a lot of production work, but not necessarily management. 

It was because they’d be in Japan in just under two weeks. Later than management had wanted, but sooner than a doctor might prescribe for Chan considering how much they had planned there. They had to start ramping up at some point though. They’d been supplementing a lot of activities but assisting with more behind the scenes, Vlives and Youtube, magazine spreads, and other things, while Chan healed. None of them wanted to do full activities without their leader. 

A soft snore cut into his thoughts and he huffed, leave it to Changbin to fall asleep. Carefully, he shifted his hands, and pressed his fingers between Changbin’s ribs, making the beta snort and yelp as he jerked awake, “Hey! I was sleeping! That’s not fair!”

Jisung laughed and kissed his hair again, tightening his hold on the older, “All’s fair in love a war!”

Changbin scoffed and sat up, pulling out of his hold and roughing up his hair as he tried to shake off the sleep. Jisung sat up as well and stretched, “Feel better?”

The other nodded, “Yeah, thanks. I’m getting sick of looking at the inside of meeting rooms.”

“You’ll probably have to go back in soon, but that’s if Jeongin and Felix give up Chan. Which will be a fight for Juwon,” Jisung pointed out, chuckling at the idea.

Changbin laughed, but his shoulders slumped a little bit more than normal. Jisung frowned and tilted his head, “Something else eating at you?”

The beta’s lips twisted as he thought for a moment, “Yeah, just thinking about how things have progressed with the pack.”

“Something wrong with how it’s gone?” Jisung asked worriedly.

Changbin reached out and pulled the alpha into a short, reassuring kiss, making him purr softly. “Nothing bad, just a little regret on my side is all,” the beta admitted with a small sigh.

“Regret about what?” Jisung pressed, moving to settle into the smaller’s lap.

Changbin’s lap was second only to Minho’s, always ready to cuddle and with muscles to hold up anyone. Changbin rested his head on Jisung’s shoulder once they were settled again, his arms around Jisung’s slighter frame. “I know Minho and I got to take care of Chan, making sure he was good through Minho knotting him, the marks, and all that. But… I had different plans for marking him.”

The last part came out sadly, a pout pulling at the edges of his lips. Jisung’s eyebrows raised, because he knew Changbin planning something always meant he went all out. Their date in LA had been a dream come true for Jisung, he could only imagine what Changbin might have planned for Chan, “You regret it not going to plan?”

“Yes and no. I’m happy with what happened, but I was going to take him to a place with some weird food first, because we know how he likes to try everything and says there’s nothing he doesn’t like. But afterwards, take him to a really nice restaurant, one where I could get us a private room so he could order as much as he like, try as much as he wanted, and no one to look at him sideways. Then let him decide if he wanted to get the mark back home or somewhere else. Like you on the beach,” Changbin explained wistfully.

Jisung held Changbin tighter, “Why can’t you still do it? You may not get the mark but maybe something else afterwards?”

“Like what?” The beta asked, looking thoughtful.

Jisung thought a moment, then a huge smile spread over his face, “Well, you’ve been excited to start working with Chan about stretching,” a blush blossomed on Changbin’s cheeks, “but you’ve both just been busy with management. Ugh, management is going to be the issue…”

Changbin sighed, having been hopefully, “It’s okay, I’m sure we’ll get a chance at some point. Just not right now.”

The way Changbin slumped, almost deflating, made Jisung’s heart twist. That wouldn’t do, “I’ll talk to Juwon, Minho, and the others. There has to be a way to get you guys a half a day and a night without them needing you two in one meeting or another.”

“Sungie—”

Jisung shook his head, “No. I think you both need this. At least before it gets worse. We’re ramping up and that means time together is going to get harder to come by. You get to have nice things too, Binnie.”

Changbin watch him a moment, then ducked his head and buried it back in Jisung’s neck. He could feel the other nod though, “You have to talk to Seungmin above your overstimulation kink though,” came Changbin’s muffled response.

Jisung groaned and his blush matched Changbin’s in the next moment, “I know, I will. I mean, it’s on his and Chan’s list of kinks too, so I shouldn’t be this nervous but…” 

He let out a huff and the Alpha wrapped his arms tightly around his fellow rapper. Changbin grumbled something and tipped them over. Landing Jisung on his back with a thud, a sound of discomfort, and a laugh. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan sat with his legs draped over Changbin’s lap. The day had been a long one, with management pulling them in a lot of directions. Jeongin and Felix had stolen him for a bit, getting him to relax in one of the focus rooms for a few moments before he was eventually dragged back into the fray with Changbin just a moment behind him. They’d finally gotten out just under an hour ago and came back to the dorm to get what relaxation they could before eating some food and trying to sleep. 

A hand landed on one of his legs and his looked up from where he was laying against the arm of the couch. Changbin smiled at him and began to massage his legs, making the leader melt almost instantly, “Are you still doing your exercises and so on?” Changbin asked as his hands worked the tense muscles.

Chan nodded, “I am, I’m less one physical therapy appointment a week. She says I should be able to start dancing soon, just to be careful.”

The shorter gave a sideways smile, “Good, just keep it slow, okay? I know we’re under a lot of pressure with the Japanese release, but your health still comes first.”

The drift beta smiled at Changbin, “I know, love you.”

“Love you too,” Changbin said.

The silence was filled with Jisung and Hyunjin arguing in the kitchen about something, Felix sighing in aggravation now and again, though he never told the other two to stop. Changbin cleared his throat softly and Chan returned his attention to the other beta, raising his eyebrows quizzically. Changbin looked hesitant, but pushed out a deep breath, “So, about when I am marked you…”

Chan straightened, a light blush on his cheeks at the memory. It dissipated quickly as he saw how nervous the other beta was though. “Yeah?” He prompted.

“Well, how we did it was great,” he said first, “but I had a few other things planned. A bit more elaborate,” a nervous laugh. “I would really like to still do them. I wanted to spoil you a bit.”

Chan’s heart clenched and melted all at once, “Binnie, of course you can. I didn’t realize that how we’d gone about it had uprooted anything you had planned though. I should have realized it since I told you it was up to you how to plan it.”

He mentally kicked himself for not thinking of what Changbin may have planned, for not asking him about it. A hand moved to clasp his and he looked back up to the shorter, “It’s okay, Channie. I liked how it went down. I just still want to take you out on a really nice date.”

Chan pushed down the turmoil as Changbin leaned over to kiss him, hand cupping his cheek. The kiss kept the self-depreciating thoughts at bay, and as Changbin pulled back, Chan asked, “What did you have planned?”

“Mmm,” the other started. “Food first, one’s a surprise, one’s to spoil you. Then a really nice hotel for the night.”

A smile slowly spread across his lips, “Oh? And people say Jisung’s the romantic.”

“He’s helping me put it all together,” Changbin said with a proud look.

Chan laughed, “Of course he is. But, when? We’re so busy…”

“Tomorrow night. Minho and Jisung are going to take over our meetings halfway through the afternoon so we can get ready. Then Juwon agreed to help get us away from fans,” Changbin said with a pleased look.

The drift beta smiled wide, leaning between the couch arm and the back of the couch, “All right, it’s a date then.”

Changbin smiled wide, giving him another kiss. 

“Hey, I want kisses,” came a pouting voice, Hyunjin looking at them with his lower lip pushed out exaggeratedly.

“Well, then come and get them,” Changbin challenged, only to be pushed back against the couch, Chan’s legs trapped between them, so Hyunjin could steal kisses from the other beta.

“Hey!” Chan yelled, laughing at the awkwardness of it with a shake of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you thought the GOT7 stuff was done? So did I, but then ideas happened. *Side eyes a certain someone*
> 
> Brain: *Sips bloody mary* ...What? 
> 
> Also, I've updated the chapter titles because they were a jumbled mess. They make more sense now and will be easier to create moving forward.


	15. A Moment to be Indulged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One or two tag updates!
> 
> Edit: 400 kudos?? s;ljalrejt;lerkjtw You all are lovely and amazing! Thank you!

Chan stared at the food in front of him, fighting the smell and disbelief, “Changbin… Why? Why would you do this to me?” 

Changbin had told him to not dress too formally at first, and instead they’d brought a change of clothes that were much nicer, so he knew they were going to multiple places at least. Which meant he hadn’t batted an eyelash at the little mom and pop shop that Changbin had led him into first. He had been surprised that their food came out just a moment after they sat down and it had a very…particular scent.

“Well, you said you like everything and will eat everything,” Changbin said, laughter in his voice as he bit his lip.

The drift beta looked over at the shorter, eyes narrowed and glaring even though he was fighting a smile, “I hate you so much.”

“Liar,” Changbin said, finally dissolving into laughter. 

Chan looked back at the sashimi style slices in front of him, still trying to decide if he loved Changbin enough to not to kick him. He was seated across from the younger, they didn’t want to chance that someone got a picture of them and posted it somewhere. It did mean he was at perfect kicking length though. He caught sight of the staff all smiling and fighting their own laughter. He bowed to them, making it known he saw them and knew damn well they were in on it. The older woman that seemed to be the owner bowed back, giving him a smug grin. 

The dish in front of them was hongeo-hoe, fermented skates. His stomach was already tensing up for what was to come, because there was no way he was backing down from this challenge. He was too competitive for that. “If I puke, I’m puking on you,” Chan said lowly, picking up his chopsticks.

“I can be faster than you when I want,” Changbin shot back, still grinning.

Chan may not be as strong as he had been before he drifted (he was working on that), but he could still keep a person in place if he needed to. He promptly tangled his legs with Changbin’s beneath the table before the younger could think to scoot away, not caring as the table jumped when his knee hit it, and grinned back, “Oh?”

Changbin gave him a narrowed, but still playful, look, “Just eat it. Try it plain first, then try the samhap version.”

Chan tossed a similar look back at him and took a slice of the fermented stingray. He turned away and took a few breaths, managing to cleanse the smell away long enough for him to turn back and just shove it in his mouth. He very nearly tossed it back onto the plate, but managed to keep it in his mouth, trying desperately chew on it. He swallowed it down finally, feeling queasy afterwards and had his mouth hanging slightly open, taking deep breaths to try to wash away the taste. Changbin keeled over, laughing and clutching his sides. He reached out to steady himself on the table and Chan immediately grabbed hold of the other beta’s hand and, in retaliation for having him eat to foul dish, he slapped the other’s inner arm several times. Changbin yelled but didn’t stop laughing.

They were making a scene, but he was more worried about keeping the food down. Changbin reached for the other food in front of them, still half laughing, “Eat some of the samgyeopsal, it helps,” and quickly fed it to the leader.

It did help and Chan slowly felt his stomach calm down at the grilled pork joined it. He took a few more breaths and pointed at the younger, “You are the worst. The absolute worst—” and mouthed ‘boyfriend’ at the other, just in case.

Changbin just tossed his chin up, “You love me.”

The owner appeared with a tray, giving Chan the same smug smile as before, “Here’s some more sides. You’re going to need them.”

Chan gave a small laugh and bowed his head, “Thank you, ma’am.”

Changbin was still smiling and chuckling under his breath as he put together another bite and held it out for Chan. The leader looked at the stack of hongeo, samgyeopsal, and kimchi skeptically, pouting at the younger. Changbin pushed it towards him, “Just try it.”

Chan made a whining sound but took the bite, because what else was he going to do? He could still really taste the overwhelming hongeo, but the other pieces at least calmed it down and he was able to swallow it more easily. He looked at Changbin once the bite was gone and pouted at the younger as he whispered so no one would hear it, “I thought this was a nice date.”

Changbin snorted around a mouth full of kimchi, “It will be. I just had to test the limits of what you’ll eat first. I finally found something you hate.”

Chan continued to pout as he balled up a napkin and threw it at Changbin’s head. “I mean, the samhap style is ok…” Changbin gave him a look and Chan sighed. “Fine, I don’t like it. But I see you haven’t had any,” he pointed out, glaring challengingly at Changbin.

The other beta snorted, “That’s because I’ve already had it. High school friends challenged me that I couldn’t eat a plate on my own.” Changbin grinned even if he was a bit green at the memory, “I won.”

A laugh escaped Chan as he shook his head, “Was that the day you came home sick and it took hours to clear out the smell.”

Changbin blushed, “Maybe.”

“I hate you so much,” Chan murmured under his breath in disbelief.

Changbin gave him a scrunched, cute look that made Chan roll his eyes, but he tossed a piece on Changbin’s plate, “Relive the memory.”

Changbin glared at the piece, then at Chan, but determinedly took it and ate the piece. He flailed as he fought to swallow it down, throwing the napkin back at Chan as the older laughed.

~~~/~~~/~~~

They’d left the little shop, promising the owner they’d bring their pack next time to share the experience. Apparently, part of the reason she served it was to not only find someone else that enjoyed it, but to watch other people freak out. It brought her endless laughter and was worth it to her and most of her employees, even the chefs would watch people’s reactions from the kitchen. 

Once they’d finally left, they’d jumped into the van with Juwon and quickly changed. Juwon had sighed in the front as he drove them to the next destination of their date, endeared to their determination to make this date work. Chan had pulled on a black suit, perfectly fitted for him, with a black button-down underneath, silk lapels, and a pair of dress shoes he barely wore, but was told they fit well with the suit. He looked over to Changbin, who was fixing his cuff links, and Chan needed a moment to appreciate the sight before him. The white button-down shirt framed all the right places and the way Changbin was expertly fixing his cufflinks had its own swagger that just made the image in front of him that much hotter. He wanted to take a picture and send it to the pack, because it was rare they saw this side of Changbin, but it would ruin the moment, he was sure of it. Changbin looked up from his wrist and moved to pull on his suit jacket, blinking in confusion at the look Chan was giving him, “What?”

“You’re fucking hot in a suit,” Chan said plainly, licking his lips. 

Changbin blushed, but that little side grin spread over his lips, “I hope so.”

“Save it,” Juwon said lowly, and Chan briefly wondered what Juwon had walked in on for him to have that tone that just said he was absolutely down with all of them.

The poor man.

They arrived at the next restaurant and while Chan had expected a nice place, he hadn’t expected a high rise with their own private room and wait staff just outside. He was well aware that Changbin’s family was well off. His own family was not hurting for money in any way. But he sometimes forgot just _how_ well off Changbin’s family was. This wasn’t a flex, the younger beta never did that. This was Changbin genuinely wanting to treat Chan in his own way. It just took a moment for Chan to wrap himself around that. 

As they sat down, Chan bowing a few more times as the staff left them alone, he turned to Changbin in a bit of disbelief, “A whole room?”

“Making up for the hongeo,” he said with a shrug.

Chan shook his head with a soft laugh and joked, “The food here must be amazing to make up for that.”

This time Changbin sat next to Chan as they settled in. In the privacy of the room and staff paid and contracted to keep their silence, they could be much freer with themselves, though caution was still needed. As Chan took the menu Changbin wrapped an arm around Chan’s and slid it up to fold their fingers together. Chan raised the other beta’s hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles. He turned to the younger and smiled, “Thank you, this means a lot to me.”

Changbin smiled up at him, a little relief in his expression, “I thought it might be too much…”

Chan shook his head and leaned towards him, pressing his temple to the other’s for a moment before kissing him briefly, “No, it’s been perfect.”

A sigh left the other, a little tension leaving him. “You can order as much as you want. I made sure we got a room, so you didn’t have to get any weird stares from people in the main room for ordering like we normally do.”

“Probably wouldn’t have stopped me,” Chan said with a smug smile.

“I wanted to make sure,” Changbin said firmly.

The drift beta’s expression softened, “Thank you. Now, what should I get first? Everything looks good.”

~~~/~~~/~~~

They’d spent probably too long at the restaurant, eating plate after plate of food. It was generally small plates, so it took a while for them to fill up, even with the food they’d eaten at the previous place. He’d thought his appetite would drop off with the lack of dance and many other things that he usually kept active with. Instead he’d been ravenous once he’d gotten through the initial recovery, being told that was all part of it. That meant most meals were big, and this was no exception. Eventually they’d thanked the staff and left though, a touch tipsy and very full off very good food. 

The last stop was a hotel, a very nice hotel. It was nothing like the ones they stayed in for tours. Those were more for functionality than anything else. This was made for luxury, maybe not top of the line because Chan wasn’t sure he could quite handle that much extravagance, but the sleek, modern design, and little extras in the décor were more than enough. The hall Changbin led him down was short, and Chan kept his arms wrapped around Changbin’s shoulders as they walked down it once they’d gotten off the elevator. It ended in double doors that Changbin pulled out the key for. 

The little alcohol in their systems made Chan’s hands roam a bit, but it would be easy enough to shake off and keep his hands to himself if needed. Which was good as they both got louder the more booze they had in them, and they did not need to be loud right now. Chan leaned his chin on Changbin’s shoulder as he unlocked the door and led them inside. 

“We’re only here for a night, so I just got one of the single room suites,” the other beta explained.

Chan chuckled as the door closed behind them, pulling off his suit jacket and setting it on a nearby chair, “It’s fine, Binnie. It feels weird though, to not go back to the rest of the pack.”

It really did feel weird, but not in a bad way. He’d talked to Minho about it briefly before they’d left, wanting to gauge if any of the rest of the pack felt left out. None of them had voiced any ill feelings. In fact, most of them had encouraged it. Chan knew Changbin had been going through the group, one by one, and treating each of the pack. Jisung, Felix, and Jeongin had all been taken out on dates of their choosing, the beta taking special care of each of them. Chan and Hyunjin were the only ones so far to tell Changbin to surprise them, while the rest were still considering what they wanted. They all knew that Changbin would treat then as often as they wanted, but none of them wanted to take advantage. He didn’t know what the other beta had in store for Hyunjin, but he was sure it would involve fashion and/or food. Food was probably the biggest reward for the entire pack, making some things relatively easy.

“Is it too much?” Changbin asked, a bit quietly behind him, insecurity showing again.

Chan turned, pausing at seeing the younger in the well fit button-down and the suit jacket off to the side. He really needed to make Changbin wear them more often. He shook his head at the question, smiling widely at the younger, “No, just different is all.” 

He did a double-take as he saw a bit of out of place color from the corner of his eye. He looked down and noticed a few red and pink rose petals trailing along the floor. He looked up at Changbin quizzically, the other beta was halfway to a smile as he said, “I asked Jisung to set up before we got here.”

That made Chan smile as well, before following the rose petals. He opened the door to a bed covered in a variety of rose petal colors across the bed and tables, a few fake candles around the room, and a carefully displayed set of toys. They were two, both knotted dildos. They looked the same size, but different colors, with a bottle of lube next to them. Changbin made a choking sound behind him, “He didn’t need to display them!”

Chan burst into laughter, clutching his sides as Changbin simmered in embarrassment, covering his face. Chan reined in his amusement and reached up to pull Changbin’s hands from his face, “So, you want to learn how to use them I take it?”

“Yes,” Changbin said, bordering on sulking.

Chan leaned in to kiss the younger, humming happily at the way Changbin melted against him. He wrapped an arm around the younger’s waist and pulled him close, shuffling back until his knees hit the bed and he dropped onto it. Changbin easily climbed into his lap, never letting the kiss stop. They’d spent most of the night avoiding too much contact for fear of someone catching sight of it and outing them before they were ready. Here though? They didn’t need to be careful. 

And with Changbin in his lap, he let his hands roam to the other beta’s thighs and hips, enjoying the way his fingers dug into lean muscle and how it made the younger suck in a sharp breath between them before giving a drawn-out purr. He loved how Changbin had this duality to him. He could make Chan yield, pick him up and toss him into bed before Chan could do anything about it if he wanted. But he could just as easily yield to Chan, letting him have all the vulnerable parts of him. Changbin had guided him through taking Minho’s knot, now it was Chan’s turn to be that guide. 

His hands roamed higher on Changbin's thighs, until one slipped up to his button-down shirt, pulling it and the undershirt up out of his trousers and sliding his hand underneath to press against heated skin. Changbin pulled back, hands going for the buttons on Chan's shirt, "This damn shirt was killing me all night. You look fucking sexy in it."

Chan snorted, "My shirt? Let's talk about _yours_. The fit on you made me want to break some very serious rules."

Chan's free hand went for Changbin's shirt as well, the hand on Changbin’s back never moving though because he relished the feel of the smooth skin and corded muscles. He made quick work of the buttons, only for Changbin’s hands to grab Chan's shirt and toss it off his shoulders until it was around his elbows, use it to pin his arms back for a moment, then drag him in for another kiss. Chan moaned and let Changbin have him, though slightly displeased that he’d lost the feel of Changbin’s skin under his hand. 

This was that push and pull between them though, and he loved every second of it. Chan let his hands land back on what he could reach of Changbin’s thighs and hips, moaning as the other beta bit at his lips, probably keeping himself from leaving behind a mark that would be so visible. Chan managed to pull back after a few more moments of Changbin seeming to not get enough of his mouth, “B-Binnie-love, babe, Binnie…”

Changbin pulled back reluctantly, pouting cutely at Chan. The drift beta laughed, “Aren’t we supposed to be using the toys?”

“I want you first,” and went back in for the kiss.

He wanted to give Changbin everything he wanted, but Chan knew if he allowed it, they’d never get to the toys. He’d wait for the right moment to introduce them, for the time being he gave in, returning the heated kiss with a low purr, which still surprised him every time it happened, and tugging at the edges of Changbin’s shirt to get it off. 

They pulled apart long enough to get their shirts off, tossing them to the side of the bed. They came back together again, skin meeting skin this time as they began to grind together. Chan let his hands roam over Changbin’s torso, pressing into heavy muscle, exploring little scars and finding the new Marks that Changbin had received, smiling as the pads of his finger passed over one high on his pectoral. He pulled back, “Who was this?”

“Jeongin,” Changbin said breathlessly.

Chan grinned and leaned down, licking over the youngest’s mark. Changbin shuddered and let his head fall back. Chan trailed up to the exposed neck, kissing and biting at the column of flesh. Hands tangled in Chan’s hair, and their hips continued a slow grind together, pulling little sounds from each of them as Chan’s hands gripped the spread thighs harder. 

There was a tipping sensation and then Chan was on his back with Changbin over him. Chan blinked up at him as the other grinned and Chan huffed, “Pants off,” he ordered.

“You too,” Changbin demanded in return.

Chan stuck his tongue out at the other and Changbin snapped lightly at it with his teeth, making Chan pull it back in and both to laugh. They make quick work of the last of their clothes, and Changbin instantly climbed back into his lap and pushed him back down onto the bed. Chan looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes and Changbin licked his lips, spreading his hands over Chan’s chest and making him arch up into the press of them. 

“I want to ride you,” Changbin said, the blush on his face darkening at finally voicing his desire.

“Have you ever ridden anyone else?” Chan asked, sliding his hands up high on his thighs and stroking a thumb over the joint of his hip.

Changbin squirmed at the touch, but didn’t stop it, “Not yet, been trying everything else though.”

Chan chuckled, “You more than have the strength and stamina for it,” and smacked one of his thighs, just below the buttock.

Changbin yelped and jerked, face turning surprised and embarrassed for a moment. Chan’s eyes widened and eyebrows raised slightly as he watched Changbin’s cock jump slightly, and he raised his gaze to look up at the other. Changbin swallowed thickly and Chan squinted, “Just how much do you like that?” And pulled his hand away, preparing for another strike.

“U-um, not too much. Just here and there. Seungmin tried it more than a few times and it stopped being good,” Changbin explained, licking his lips.

Chan considered this, “Okay, so one of these—” and landed a hard smack on one cheek “—is good on occasion?”

Changbin took in a sharp breath at the second smack and nodded, “Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Noted,” The drift beta said, and soothed his hand over the spots that would surely be red later. 

That relaxed Changbin, allowing to Chan to bring his other hand to wrap around both of their cocks and lightly pump them, “Get the lube?”

Changbin nodded and turned, arching to grab it from the side table. Chan licked his lips as he watched the way the smaller stretched and reached for the item, enjoying the brief display of his toned body. Once Changbin was back and the lube pressed into his hand, they resituated, getting more in the center of the bed. Then he refocused on his original task, barely noticing a condom tossed onto the bed next to him. He quickly poured the lube, clicked it closed and set the bottle aside. His dry hand went to Changbin’s waist, palming over where his own mark was and making Changbin lick his lips, and slowly lubed both their cocks before pumping them in one fist. 

A groan left Changbin and he leaned over Chan, panting as he began to move his hips in time with Chan’s hand. The drift beta leaned up to steal a kiss, the hand at his waist moving to catch some of the extra lube and lower between Changbin’s legs. “Lean up a bit,” Chan instructed.

Changbin did so, leaning up and using every one of those muscles he’d had on display when he'd stretched before to hover over Chan. “Fuck,” the drift beta breathed, because it was hot when Changbin used his strength in any way.

Changbin snorted, but only managed a choked sound as Chan pressed a finger deep inside of him. The younger moaned low and long as Chan began to thrust the finger in and out of him purposefully. Changbin wasn’t as wet as Chan got, and he was starting to think how wet he got, even before he drifted, was a byproduct of his subsex. He quickly got more lube, Changbin protesting the brief loss of his hands, but trembling once they returned. He took his time opening Changbin up, though mindful of how the other beta’s form stayed aloft. Changbin eventually resituated himself to better hold himself up, hips still canting between the hand around his cock and the fingers pressing inside of him.

Chan only pulled his fingers out when he was able to fit three fingers inside the other beta and had made him curse sufficiently from abusing his prostate as often as possible. Pulling away from the kiss they’d fallen into, Chan asked, “Do you still want to ride me or have me finger you till you come?”

Changbin bit his lips, really seeming to consider his options, “Fingers later.”

“Of course, though you’ll probably have a dildo in you first,” and smiled up at him.

Changbin snorted, but raised himself a bit more, and Chan took hold of his own length. He quickly slid on the condom and added more lube, before pressing the tip to Changbin’s entrance. He brought one hand to the other’s hip and looked up, “When you’re ready.”

A nod and then Changbin slowly lowered himself onto Chan’s length. Chan hissed and dropped his head back, resituating his hands to Changbin’s hips, gripping tightly but not controlling the other's movement. Changbin was tight despite the stretching he given him. It took quite a bit to keep himself from thrusting up into the other’s heat, lip caught between his teeth. He opened his eyes to Changbin leaning over him, grinning, “Love it when you bite your lip like that,” the other said, low under his breath.

Chan gave a breathless laugh, “What about my cock in you?” And smacked his ass, careful to aim for the meat of it.

Changbin gasped and jerked, making him bounce slightly on Chan’s cock then whimper and grip the blankets to either side of Chan. The drift beta licked his lips and thrust up just a little bit, making his hips meet Changbin’s. The shorter gasped again, then let his hips follow Chan back down, fully seating Chan inside of him. 

They paused, both of them catching their breath, before Changbin slowly raised his hips and let himself drop back down. Each movement was careful and almost experimental, and Chan let him have control like that. The most Chan did was small nudges and pulls in ways he knew he liked, thrusting up on occasion to see how Changbin liked it. 

“I… think this might be one of my favorite positions so far,” Changbin said between gasps.

Chan grinned, “What do you like about it?”

“I like the control, the pace, and you go deeper too. Or maybe you’re just longer than most of the rest of the pack,” he said with a high chuckle.

Chan giggled, the laughter jarred them though, and Changbin moaned, “Oh fuck, there.”

The drift beta nodded and shifted himself a little to try and simulate the angle he hit. Changbin moaned and Chan grinned. He shifted himself to move more easily and Changbin began meeting the thrusts again, leaning over Chan and letting his face press into his shoulder. As they moved towards climax it was a slow, steady climb, but that’s how Chan wanted it and Changbin was clearly enjoying it if the sounds he was making were anything to go by. It also made it easier to stave it off his climax as he flipped Changbin over so his head landed on the pillow beside and him and Chan leaned over him, a smug expression on his face.

Changbin blinked widely up at Chan in surprise but could only gasp as Chan dove in for another kiss and pressed back into him. He didn’t speed up or significantly change what Changbin had been doing. The other beta had stated he liked it, so he kept it going, letting each movement slowly build between them. It made each step sweeter, more heated, till it burned between them and took their breath away.

He pulled back from Changbin finally, a hand reaching out to snatch the first dildo it came in contact with as he said, “You’re not going to come until you’re taking this dildo and it’s knot.”

Changbin blinked away the pleasured haze he was in and looked to the dildo in surprise, “I—but—I like your cock—”

“Good,” and Chan slid out of him, “I promise you’ll like this just as much.”

He quickly lubed up the dildo as Changbin went to protest and pressed the head to his entrance and looked up as he paused. Chan watched Changbin, looking for a sign from the younger that he really didn’t want this, that he really wanted to stop or go back to what they had been doing. Changbin licked his lips, considering for a long moment, then nodded his agreement. The drift beta leaned up for a quick kiss, “You really will,” and pressed the tip into him before he could say anything else.

The dildo was a touch bigger than Chan, picked out specifically to push his limits, but Changbin took every inch with gasping breaths and little rolls of his hips, “Fu-fuck, that’s a lot…”

“There’s more,” Chan said into his neck, nipping at his collar bone. 

Changbin whimpered, but it turned into a moan as Chan pulled the length out slowly, before pushing it back in, a bit faster this time. Soon he was gripping the base and thrusting it in to meet Changbin’s movements. He specifically made sure the small knot at the base didn’t press in immediately, but soon was letting the top of the knot spread Changbin bit by bit. The other beta bit his lip and gripped the quilt below them as it got to the widest part, then cried out as it slid the rest of the way in. 

Chan stopped then, still holding the base but watching the younger carefully. Changbin closed his eyes tightly, slowly opening them only as he relaxed, “Th-that’s—”

Chan hushed him softly, “Yeah, that’s it at its smallest.”

“Fuck,” Changbin squeaked. 

Licking his lips and not taking his eyes off the shorter, he slowly pulled out the knot, then most of the dildo, before pushing it quickly back in, careful of the knot still. Changbin arched and cried out again, but his arousal never wavered, bouncing against his stomach. Chan reached down and lightly pressed a finger along the underside of his cock, “Think you can come just from the dildo?”

“I don’t…know,” he managed, breath heavy and eyes barely open as he locked eyes with chan. 

Chan let a grin spread over his lips and he began fucking Changbin with the dildo again, popping the knot in and out on occasion but careful to make sure he hit the spot inside of Changbin as often as possible, pushing the other beta closer and closer to the edge. Finally, with a cry, Changbin came hard across his stomach and Chan thrust the dildo all the way in with one motion and hit a button on the bottom of the dildo to tell it to inflate.

Changbin let out a dismayed noise as the knot began to grow inside of him, making him arch a bit higher before dropping back down onto the bed and whimpering, “B-big, fuck that’s big…!”

Chan stopped the dildo, “Too big?”

Changbin nodded and Chan quickly deflated it a bit, “Better?”

Another nod was all he got as Changbin lay back, catching his breath, “Fuck, that feels… amazing but so full.”

Chan laughed softly, “You’re going to have to do this regularly, making it bigger each time, before you take anyone else’s knot.”

Changbin nodded in understanding. “It feels amazing. How big is it right now?” he asked through the haze of his afterglow.

Chan picked up the other dildo and inflated it to about how much was in Changbin. The other beta stared, “That’s it?”

It wasn’t too much bigger than the deflated knot really. Definitely bigger, but he had a bit to go before he was taking any alpha’s knot as he inflated it to about how big Minho got. Changbin cursed and shifted, then paused, biting his lower lip, “Shit that’s… sensitive.”

Chan laughed and reset the dildo, “That’s part of why you usually don’t want to move that much afterwards.”

Changbin nodded and Chan let him be for the moment. He forced himself to ignore his own erection, still heavy between his legs, and got up to go to the bathroom to get a wet towel to clean up Changbin with. Once back, he carefully did so, mindful of how sensitive the other beta still was, showering him in kisses, purrs, and comforting touches as he went. He set the towel aside and took off his condom a few moments later. 

He was planning to take care of himself, when Changbin grabbed his wrist. Chan looked over at him, tilting his head in confusion as Changbin was looking at him with a narrowed look. “This isn’t just about me right now. This night was for you too.”

“Binnie, you took me to two restaurants for questionable food, amazing food, and just a damn good time, let me eat more than enough, and have us in an insane hotel room. There’s been plenty of me tonight,” he pointed out. 

Changbin’s face scrunched up and he slowly sat up, moving to gingerly sit back on his knees, “So? I don’t want to leave you with a case of blue balls or just taking care of yourself.”

Chan sighed, but knew the other wouldn’t relent by the determined look on his face, “Then what would you like to do?”

“Let me fuck you with the other dildo,” he said with a lift of his chin, “I have to know how to use it myself, right?’

Chan chuckled, noting the cheeky grin on the younger’s face. “Fine, if you absolutely insist.”

“I do, you snarky asshole,” Changbin growled and pushed the drift beta back onto the bed.

He was still careful of the dildo locked inside of himself as he picked up the dildo, examining the base and clearly taking in the settings. Once he looked satisfied he turned to Chan, clearly determined to make sure the drift beta was taken care of as well, however unnecessary it may have been. Changbin leaned down to give the drift beta a quick kiss, using it as a cover to slip a hand between his legs and press a finger to his entrance. He pulled back when he realized that Chan was more than wet enough for him to press a finger into him. “You said you get pretty wet, but fuck. I’ll only need to lube the toy for you, right?” Changbin asked, biting his lower lip

Chan took deep breaths as the finger pushed in and out him slowly and nodded, “Th-that should be enough.”

Changbin nodded and was soon pressing in a second finger. Chan canted his hips up and down onto them, biting his lower lip as he did so. Changbin twisted his fingers, then thrust them in deep, pressing to the spot he’d found last time. His memory was good as he began abusing it and made Chan groan, “I’m not going to last if you k-keep doing that…”

“Then I’ll just have to do it with this,” and quickly lubed up the second dildo and set it to Chan’s entrance with a grin.

“Fuck, all right ju—hah!” 

He was going to calm himself down a bit so that it didn’t end too quickly, but Changbin was having none of it. He pressed it in deep and held it there, letting the knot stretch his entrance. Chan moaned and shifted, his cock jerking and dripping against his stomach, making Changbin grin wider, “Damn, look at you take it. You looked damn good on Minho’s knot too, you know that?”

Chan whimpered and nodded, making Changbin reach down and take hold of his hip with his free hand, keeping him in place as he began to slowly fuck the drift beta with the toy. It felt so damn good, how Changbin twisted the toy and teased him with the width of the knot, not allowing it to slide into him just yet. 

“Fuck, Changbin please, le-let me have the knot, please,” he half babbled, hips trying to take just that little bit more that it could just let it slip fully into him. 

Changbin licked his lips, “I like seeing you beg. Felix begs pretty too.”

The drift beta whined, “You a-and Hyunjin seem to sha-are that.”

Changbin hummed, “I’ll have to talk to him about it then,” and thrust the toy in down to the hilt. 

Chan yelled, tossing his head back and taking deep breaths as it settled deep in him. Changbin held it there, free hand still on his hip and stroking the sensitive skin. 

Once Chan had gathered himself, he started, “You are goddamn cru—a-ah!!” But cut off as the knot of the toy was pulled out quickly, making Chan arch and his hips jerk again, “Fuck!”

Changbin grinned side-long and pushed it right back in, pulling another yell from the older. “Yeah, but you’re loving every second of it,” he countered, twisting the toy inside of him.

Chan didn’t get the chance to respond as the other beta began smoothly working it in and out of him, knot and all. He gripped the younger's shoulders, feeling his nails dig in as he got closer to his climax each time it pressed in and out of him, but not quite enough to fall off the edge. 

“Changbin, Binnie, fuck please, please, knot me, touch me, just l-let me—” The younger pressed the toy in deep on the next thrust, purposefully making the entire length of the toy slide along that spot inside of him, and tilted the knot so it pressed relentlessly against it.

A full body shudder ran through him and Chan came with a long groan across his stomach. He only got a moment though, as a small click was heard and the knot was expanding inside of him. His breath hitched and he was quickly being stretched wide, locking the toy inside him. Changbin stopped it only when Chan gave a small whimper of discomfort, deflating it slightly to be better settled into the older in the same way Chan had done with him. The other beta quickly picked up the discarded towel from earlier and wiped the come off Chan’s stomach, before sprawling out on his own stomach, half next to Chan, half on top him. 

The leader mumbled under his breath and curled an arm around him as he slow came off the high, “How’s yours feeling?”

Changbin shifted slightly, “Still feel good, full.”

Chan purred approvingly, kissing his cheek, “Good.”

A few moments passed of them simply enjoying the afterglow, before Chan said in a soft tone, “Thank you, Binnie. This was perfect. I don’t know how you managed all of it, but it was amazing.”

The younger looked up at him, a pleased smile slowly working its way across his lips. “Worth it then. We’ll get breakfast in the morning too. I have you until then at least.”

“You have me a lot more than just till morning, Binnie-love,” Chan said, reassuringly.

Changbin sat up a bit and leaned over the leader, “I know, but we’re getting busy again. There’s going to be less time for all of us in the near future.”

Chan reached up and cupped his cheek, “Yeah, but we’ll figure it out. None of us are going anywhere. Promise.”

The other beta leaned down to kiss him, slow and soft. He tried to memorize each moment, the way Changbin's warm, firewood and chestnut scent enveloped him, how their lips slid so perfectly together, and how every touch made him feel wanted. He needed to save it for the near future when these moments were rarer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got so long, and I am not sorry :D Enjoy all of it, it was really fun to write but just took a while because there was so much. I hope Chan’s ‘I like everything’ shtick when it comes to food gets put to the test like this one day. *Cackles*
> 
> And did Top!Chan just kind of happen in a Bottom!Chan fic? Yep, it just worked, so I wasn’t going to try to force it into something it didn’t want to be. Plus, Changbin is such a lovely bottom <3
> 
> Side Note: I don't know exactly how well off Changbin's family is, I just know it's been mentioned, so I ran with it.


	16. Strides Forward, Even When Unsure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just a quick note – I went back and made a few minor changes to the last chapter. The thing about world building is that you have to remember to incorporate things that are unique to the world you create. And I spent like… two chapters building up Chan purring, only to not mention it at all in chapter 15. I also found a number little things that it pissed me off. So, I fixed what I could find, no big changes that would call for a reread. But I thought I'd mention it because Grr.

Jisung hushed the others around him as they stood in the hallway of the hotel just outside the suite door. The pack had gotten their fair share of stares on their way into the high-end hotel, but the front desk lady recognized him from the previous day when he had setup for Changbin, so he’d been able to schmooze them all by with the explanation that they’d been called there by their packmates. They were actually going to see their packmates, said packmates just didn’t know that yet. 

Felix was hiding behind Jeongin with Hyunjin just behind him, all three peering around wide eyed. Minho was biting his lip against laughter while Seungmin was rolling his eyes at them all. Jisung still had his key and he hoped he had done well with the setup. The rose petals trailing into the bedroom had been a last-minute touch on his part. 

He carefully opened the door, “Housekeeping!” He called in a high, feminine voice.

Barely contained laughter erupted from behind him and he had to fight to contain his own. There was no response though, so he opened the door fully and allowed everyone in, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. 

“Woah…” Felix said softly, still clinging to Jeongin as the other wore a similar look of amazement.

The suite was classy as hell, all sleek lines and modern décor in warm, dark colors, but sharply contrasted with whites and light grays here and there. Hyunjin looked like a kid in a candy store as he drank up the room and Jisung briefly remembered that Hyunjin was planning to go into interior design before becoming an idol. They kicked off their shoes and Jisung snuck to the room doors, opening them slowly with a grimace on his face as he prayed they didn’t squeak. 

He peered inside, Minho just behind him. The small fake candles had been turned off, but the rose petals were still everywhere, and it looked like the toys had either been put away or were… in use still. It had to be option one though, because the other two occupants of the room were currently wrapped around one another on the bed, still sound asleep. 

Minho tapped his shoulder and he pulled back, closing the door, “Okay, so, they’re still asleep. Plan?”

“Simple, jump in the bed. Scare the hell out of them, then snuggles,” Seungmin said.

Everyone nodded enthusiastically and Jisung moved to grip the handle again. He counted down, “3...2...1!” and burst open the door, starting to barge in, “Yah—hack!”

Only to have copious amounts of water tossed on the six of them, freezing them in place or making them rear back in dismay. Changbin and Chan stood half on the bed still, grinning widely as they held what had to be ice buckets that were previously filled with water. 

There was silence in the group of six for a moment as they stood there, half soaked, trying to determine what to do, while the other two betas laughed, holding their sides. “You have miscalculated,” came a low even response from Minho.

The alpha continued forward towards Chan, reaching for him even as he tried to dodge away. The rest of the group realized what Minho was doing and joined in. Seungmin and Jeongin got Changbin quickly, beginning to smother him in hugs and getting him just as wet at them. Minho grabbed Chan before he could get away, the drift beta yelling, “No no no!!” But being ignored as Minho proceeded to wrap him in a tight hug, effective getting the older just as wet as him.

Jisung laughed and joined in with Felix and Hyunjin, until all of them were semi-wet and sprawled out on the floor or bed. Jisung ended up with his legs around Chan’s waist, nose buried in his ocean and cedar wood scent, and half laying on Minho who was acting as a pillow for several the pack.

“Well,” Changbin said from his spot between Seungmin and Jeongin, Hyunjin draped over him on the floor, “I guess good morning?”

They all gave some sort of laugh, only to be cut off by a knock at the door, “Room service!” Came the call.

They all blinked wide and glance at each other, “Well, fuck,” Felix said as Chan scrambled to get up and look somewhat decent for the hotel staff.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan sat on one of the chairs in the exam room. He’d just been through his first visit to the subsex specialist since arriving back in South Korea. They’d mostly been in contact with Dr. Rossi, until she said it was necessary for him to go through another full examination. Especially if he was going to start ramping up his activities. She’d referred him to Dr. Roe, currently one of the only specialists for drift betas in the country and someone she’d conferred with often. The specialist they’d found in Japan was also on her reference.

He was waiting on Dr. Roe to return to discuss any findings and his continued recovery. He just worried he was doing something wrong, something that could harm his recovery. He’d started going to the gym again and was hoping to start dancing in the next week or two. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, he was thankful to have his thoughts interrupted by the doctor returning.

He was younger than most doctor’s Chan had met, an omega maybe in his thirties, but he had a very calming aura and so far had been very mindful of Chan’s nervousness. “And we’re back!” He said and he dropped into his seat, “Everything looks good. All the x-rays show normal, hormone tests show mostly stable, and examination results are good. You’re getting closer to being a free man.”

Relief washed through Chan, making him smile as he joked, “But not quite yet, eh?”

The doctor smiled, “No, not yet. While your recovery looks good, you are still in recovery. Often times drifts will feel like they're back to normal, only to go a bit too far and trip their body backwards. So, don’t take anything to too fast.”

Chan nodded quickly, “I’ll be careful.”

He seemed to consider Chan another moment before nodding, “That does bring me to the question of suppressants and heat.”

“Yes, I wanted to know if it was safe to start them up again?”

“Simple answer is, no, not yet,” the doctor said as he folded his hands in front of him. “You cannot go on suppressants again until you’ve had at least two heats at normal intervals. We need to make sure your body is able to handle them properly before you start any suppressant cycles.”

Chan deflated slightly, “Well…”

“Shit?” The doctor offered.

Chan looked at him in surprise and the other shrugged, “It’s what every other drift I handle has ever said. I was just filling it in for you.”

A small smile touched his lips, thankful at his candidness, “So, no suppressants. What options do I have to help manage them? What about what to look out for? Most of my heats have been mild, to the point where all that happened was that I got extra tactile. I’ve always been very neutral.”

“We’ll treat you similar to an omega; scent blockers when your preheat symptoms start, and a lot of information on what to look for. It was mentioned that this was triggered from your previous pack omega leaving. Did they ever go into heat while they were with you?”

“Yes, but the most he did was lessen the dosage to allow a mild heat, which he spent away from us.”

Dr. Roe nodded, not pressing for details, “Then I’m going to give you a stack of information and resources to look over. You’ve gone through presentation classes, I assume?” Chan nodded, “This will offer much more on how it will affect you as a drift. They don’t talk much about drifts in the presentation classes, which is something many are trying to change, but these will help start you off, okay?”

“All right,” Chan said with a deep breath and he took the papers.

“In addition,” Dr. Roe continued, “your packmates will need to go through this. They are going to be vital in figuring out how to know when your heat is coming on. You can’t get a gauge on your own scent since you’re neutralized to it, your scent is likely to be so light that even the most sensitive won't catch it, and your head fog won’t change to be closer to that of an omega like it would with a neutral beta who's swung into the omega range. In fact, everything might be the exact same to you as when you were neutral, except for the fact that your body will need much more attention and it doesn't know how to tell you that until it just drops you in the deep end. Your pack is going to have to help you match as much of your scent as possible to other preheat symptoms: nesting habits, irritability, increased desire for affection, changes in sex drive, territorial tendencies, and so on.”

Chan took all the information in, occasionally nodding and glancing through the papers to make note of the different sections of information tDr. Roe was talking about. “Another thing that will affect how your heats are handled is if you plan to spend them with your pack. I understand yours is platonic?” The doctor continued, making notes in the computer.

“Um,” he started hesitantly, “We’re not anymore, but I’m not sure if we’re ready for an event like this.”

Dr. Roe nodded, “Understood.”

“When do you think my first one will hit?”

“In roughly a month and a half to two months. You’re barely a month out of the initial transition and still healing, so your body is taking that into account. So as long as you don’t overdo it, the heat should be sooner rather than later.” He turned to Chan and peered at him over his glasses, “Keep that in mind.”

“Yes sir,” Chan agreed immediately, knowing that he was referring to him starting to ramp up activities and possibly how it was well known that idols tended to push themselves. 

He’d felt good lately, but he’d try to hold himself back for a while longer. “So,” the doctor continued, “homework is to keep resting, talking to your pack about the lead up to your heat, and to discuss if you want any of them to help handle your heat, or if they want to help or not. Got any questions for me?”

“Not now, but I will call you if any come up,” Chan said with a nodded.

Dr. Roe reached out a hand to shake his before Chan left, stack of papers tucked under his arm tightly. Juwon drove him back to the dorm after a brief discussion about his heats and suppressants. The doctor had added a prescription for scent blockers to his stack of papers and he handed that over to Juwon to get filled. Then he kept reading through the information. Most of it centered around how his preheat symptoms and heat might be different. His preheat symptoms would probably be mild. There was a one in fifty chance they wouldn't be, and with the numbers of drift betas considered, that was pretty damn low for them. However, there was about a fifty percent chance that his heat could be just as strong as an omega’s, but an equal percent chance it would be much lighter than that. Chan was hoping it was lighter because he was already so used to a near-non-existent heat. He kept reading as Juwon dropped him off at the dorm and continued for a few more hours until the rest of the pack arrived home.

“We brought jajangmyeon!” Jeongin called as he entered the dorm first, closely followed by Hyunjin with a cuddly looking Seungmin attached to him. 

“Welcome home,” he called back as the rest filtered in a few moments later with a few bags of groceries.

It wasn’t much by their standard, but considering they would be leaving for Japan soon it was enough to make it through a few days. Jeongin set the food down, Hyunjin the first to start unpacking it since it was one of his favorites, while the youngest crawled onto the couch and sidled up to Chan. The drift beta easily wrapped an arm around him, though he only took his eyes off the paper for a brief moment to kiss the alpha’s cheek before going back to reading. “What’s this?” Jeongin asked quietly.

“Information about preheat symptoms and heats,” Chan said off-handedly.

A choking sound was heard, and Chan looked up to see Hyunjin had choked on the noodles he’d just stuffed in his mouth. Seungmin was trying not to die of laughter and Jeongin was bright red. Perhaps he shouldn’t just say it so nonchalantly considering they’d all been avoiding the topic of heat outside of when they were fucking each other’s brains out. That did need to stop though, especially if he was going to be expected to go through at least two of them. To try and lighten the mood he laughed at Hyunjin as he caught his breath, “Don’t die over there, Jinnie.”

Hyunjin pout-glared at Chan, “I just didn’t expect it…”

“Well, we’re going to have to talk about them eventually. Especially since I have to go through at least two before they’ll let me try suppressants,” he explained.

He said this as most of them were within earshot, trying to gauge reactions. Changbin looked up from his phone in surprise, Felix and Minho had taken to leaning out of the kitchen to look at him quizzically, while Seungmin and Jisung looked unbothered, if curious. Jeongin was still bright red beside him. Chan chuckled at them all, “Hyunjin, help dish out the food instead of eating it all, then we’ll talk about it over dinner.”

The younger beta agreed with a little pout, taking another mouthful of food before beginning to help Jisung and Seungmin dish out the first serving of food. Soon they were all sitting around the living room eating. Jeongin was still close to Chan and Minho had decided that Chan’s lap was great for his legs. “So,” Jisung started from his seat in Hyunjin’s lap, “heats huh?”

Chan laughed around a mouthful of food, “Yeah,” he said before swallowing, “I talked to Dr. Roe and he said I have to go through at least two before they’ll consider putting me on suppressants, and that’s only if my body is handling it consistently. They don’t want to chance an issue with my hormones being masked by suppressants.”

“Is that a big issue for drifts?” Seungmin asked.

“It can be. The way Dr. Rossi and the information Dr. Roe gave me explains it is that my hormones are swinging like a pendulum that’s losing momentum as it goes, from neutral to omega. It’s supposed to even out by the time I hit my first heat. If it hasn’t, then there’s a problem and I’ll probably have really irregular heats.”

They all nodded, “So, as long as your first two heats go as planned, you’ll get on suppressants?” Minho asked, watching Chan closely.

“I mean, I have to to be able to maintain our schedule for promotions and so on. And… If you guys don’t want to join my heats, that’s fine,” he said, even though the words stuck more in his throat than he thought they would.

He was prepared for a denial at the end of the discussion if it came to that, so he wasn’t sure why saying it was difficult. “Would you want us to join you for your heat?” Jeongin asked, his tone hopeful but very unsure.

Chan swallowed down his own unease, “I do want you all there. But I don’t want any of you to feel like you have to be there if you aren’t ready.”

Glances went through them all, but it was Minho that spoke up, “We should all take time to think on it. Participating in someone’s heat isn’t a decision to make lightly and we’ll have to plan it anyway. We have to know when to get food, who’s going to handle what, and so on. Chan, I take it you’ve already told management?”

Chan nodded, “Yes, I talked to Juwon on the drive back. He’s getting a prescription for scent blockers for my preheat symptoms and going to be taking it back to management to discuss planning. We only have an idea of when the first one will happen, so that makes planning for it more complicated.”

Minho nodded and Chan finished off his jajangmyeon before continuing into more details, “There’s more that you guys will need to know though. We’ve been dealing with some of it, like how I can’t pick up on my own scent?”

They all nodded, “Well, that means I can’t tell when I’m going into heat very easily, if at all. Dr. Roe said I have to learn to match up my new symptoms with my scent, which is where you guys come i—”

“I’ll be able to tell first!” Felix practically yelled, throwing a hand in the air.

Chan chortled at the enthusiasm, the rest of the pack laughing and agreeing. Felix had always been able to tell when someone was going into heat or rut first, reminding them to take their suppressants the moment he caught a whiff of something. He’d been the first to pick up on Chan’s drift when they were backstage too, “If you’re there when it starts, then yes, you’ll probably be first.”

Felix smiled impossibly wide, puffing up slightly until Jisung poked his side, giving him an endearing shake of his head. Felix scrunched his face back at him, cuddling closer to Changbin in the process. “But if you guys notice anything else, let me know. The most I had in the way of heat symptoms previously was being overly tactile. Now it could be things like irritability, wanting sex more than normal,” scuffing came from the rest of the pack because they had high enough sex drives as it was, “I could even get territorial, though I’m not sure how that would work.”

“Mm, I don’t think it’s that far-fetched,” Seungmin commented, “you’ve always been protective of us, and you always like to stand back and check on everyone. I think you headcount more than any other leader, you’re just more subtle about it.”

Chan’s eyebrows raised, “Huh, I never realized. I guess we will have to look out for that.”

Jeongin smiled beside him, “You do it with me too still. It’s kind of annoying,” he said playfully.

Chan pouted in a way that he knew was cute but made Minho gag, the oldest alpha taking his feet off Chan’s lap and turning away. Jeongin laughed, “I’ll just do it to you one day, so you know how it feels.”

“You already have, remember?” Changbin pointed out.

That made Chan blush and Jeongin whine, “That doesn’t count, I was presenting!”

“You practically ripped poor Jae’s hand off when he put it on Chan’s shoulder. The look on his face was hilarious!” Hyunjin teased the youngest.

It both was and wasn’t. They had all been tired, still doing promotions for Levanter and had been at the company building for a round of photos for some merchandise that would be used during their tour. Jae had arrived to show them support and try to raise their spirits. However, when he’d put a hand on Chan’s shoulder, in nothing more than a friendly way mind you, Jeongin had slapped it off instantly and growled at the other alpha. They’d all stood there stunned for a moment, before Minho had grabbed the snarling youngest and carted him away and they’d finally figured out that Jeongin was presenting. That had been a very long day.

“I still haven’t forgiven you for that,” Seungmin said lowly, arms crossed where he sat.

“Minnie~!” Jeongin whined out, sliding off the couch and over to wrap himself around the beta, whimpering and purring softly.

Seungmin finally broke character and laughed as he leaned into the youngest. He pulled Jeongin's arms over his shoulders and turned to kiss his cheek first, then a quick kiss on the lips, making Jeongin smile widely and hold him close. “Cute,” Chan cooed at them.

Both smiled proudly at him. Chan just shook his head before bringing the topic back around, “But we will need to keep an eye out for it, whether we plan that I spend it with any of you or not. We’ll also need to consider turning one of the rooms into a nest room though. Everything I’ve read so far says that I will probably start nesting shortly before the heat starts in one way or another, and I’d rather do that in a specific room than let it expand out to the entire apartment.”

“Nesting is different for everyone though, right? I get nesty when I near heat,” Hyunjin pointed out, “but nesting for me means being horribly particular about my bed.”

“Chenle cleans everything. The rest of NCT don’t even need to get to his scent changing. They know because suddenly everything in the dorm is clean and Haechan didn’t do it,” Felix explained, Chenle being one of Felix's growing group of friends and one of the surprising number of omegas that flocked to the alpha.

“Yeah, all those things are possible, but I’d like a space for it, at least once we realize that’s what’s happening,” Chan explained.

“That’s fine.” Changbin spoke up, “We have three rooms. Maybe we can combine two down and then have those as places for people to go when they need to be on their own or the nest just isn’t comfortable.”

“Yes!” Jisung said immediately, Hyunjin raising his hand in agreement.

Chan nodded, “Okay, we’ll sit on the heat discussion a bit for everyone to think on it, but plan for a nest room when we get back from Japan?”

“Sounds good,” Minho said as they all nodded. “Now, I’m still hungry,” and got up to go for another serving of food.

“Me too!” Hyunjin agreed as he went to stand.

“You’ve had three servings!” Changbin protested.

“So?”

“It’s just because it’s jajangmyeon.”

“So?”

Changbin sighed and rolled his eyes while Hyunjin just smiled and waited to get more next to Minho.

~~~/~~~/~~~

It was the next day after recording that Minho pulled Jisung aside, “Hey Sungie.”

Jisung smiled at the other alpha, “Hey,” he said, and tilted his head as Minho beckoned him into an unused room. “Something up?” He asked worriedly.

Minho shook his head, “Nothing serious, but I wanted to ask your help.”

“Sure, for what?” 

“You know how we said we’d start the nest room after we got back from Japan?” 

Jisung paused, then he immediately lit up, “Are we going to do it sooner?”

Minho nodded, “Yeah, I’m going to talk to Felix and Jeongin. I want it to be a surprise for our betas and the easiest way to do that is to have it taken care of while we’re in Japan, so it can be a surprise when we get back. You’re the best at getting information out of people though, and we need to know what they might like in a nest. Do you mind taking the wheel on this?”

Jisung nodded immediately, “Yes! Holy shit, this is gonna be awesome!”

Minho laughed as Jisung bounced on the balls of his feet, looping an arm around his waist as he peered down at him lovingly. “I’ve talked to the managers briefly about it, since they can help keep them distracted if needed. We’ll also need them to help organize who gets into our dorm and who doesn’t, what they move, and so on,” the alpha continued, giving Jisung a warm look.

Something electric always bloomed in Jisung’s chest when Minho looked at him like that. He smiled at the older and wrapped his arms around his shoulders to pull him close, “You’re that best pack alpha.”

Minho snorted and rolled his eyes even as he pulled Jisung a little closer and a light blush touched his cheeks. Jisung giggled and leaned in for a kiss, happy to give him a bit of affection before they were needed anywhere else again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay world building! It was nice to get back into that again. I missed it, even if I have been having fun with the smut. 8D
> 
> Also, I hope the NCT snippet was okay. The most I've gotten into with NCT is older NCT 127 and WayV, because WinWin holds my entire heart and I am a-ok with that. I am slowly getting into more of them, but it's a process *headdesk*
> 
> I want to give a BIG thank you to everyone that's been reading, commenting, and giving kudos thus far. I never thought this fic would be as well received as it has been. Thank you all so much, and I promise I have a lot more planned!


	17. They’ll Make You Scream First

Chan scrolled through his phone, earbuds in place and making small notes on some lyrics that had been sitting untouched for a while but that he still wanted to use somewhere. They were finally on their way to the airport to head to Japan for promotions, lives, and recordings. So far, his ramp up had been successful, he’d even managed to go through a few dance rounds without keeling over because his muscles weren’t having it or being completely exhausted, but he had been on the verge of both by the end. He wanted to be in all the dances for the lives, but there was no way that was happening. He’d still be on stage, but his dancing would still be minimal, a handful of songs at most and evenly spaced.

He glanced up as the scent next to him shifted slightly and he looked over at Jeongin, who was staring out the window at the airport as they approached. The drift beta reached out and tapped his thigh. “You ok?” He asked softly, so the rest in the front of the van didn’t hear him.

Jeongin broke his stare and turned to Chan, lips pursed, “I’m not sure. I feel… My instincts are on really high alert.”

Chan frowned, “How do you mean?”

The youngest considered his words and Chan let him have a moment to gather his thoughts, “I think it’s because last time any of us were at an airport it didn’t go very well. My instincts were really wired after that, and when you came home. I think that’s happening again.”

“All right,” Chan said, wrapping his hand around Jeongin’s, “do you think you need anything specific to stay in control?”

“I need to stay near you,” he said instantly, gripping Chan’s hand tightly in return.

“Oh?” Chan teased lightly, trying to ease the heaviness and worry in the youngest’s scent, “It’s good to see you’re understanding your instincts better. I’m really proud of you, sweety.”

A blush instantly rose to his cheeks and Chan would need to figure out later if it was from the praise or the nickname. It was taking Chan a while to get there with the nicknames and the expressions of love over friendship, but over time they were becoming more frequent and easier. He wasn’t stuck in the mindset he’d forced himself into for years anymore. ‘Babe’ was the most used nickname, but more were slowly popping in. They couldn’t use them too much though. The chance of using them in the wrong company too great.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Jeongin brought Chan’s hand up to kiss his knuckles lightly, a shy look on his face, “Thank you, I’ll keep doing better.”

“You always do,” Chan responded, knowing just how hard the youngest worked every day to be the best he could for them.

They were pulled out of the moment by a soft whistle. Seungmin and Jisung in front were turned back to look at them, both sporting grins. Chan rolled his eyes as Jeongin groaned but didn’t let go of his hand. Chan quickly diverted the two, “Innie’s instincts are on edge, so he’s gonna stick close to me, okay?”

Seungmin looked at the other worriedly, but Jeongin shook his head, “I have it under control. I just know it will be easier if I stay near Chan.”

The other two nodded as the driver peered back at them, “Ready to go.”

Chan didn’t let go of Jeongin’s hand until they were climbing out of the van, but once they were out Jeongin was right at his side, staying close. Chan watched as Seungmin quickly and quietly disseminated the situation through their group, each person nodding their understanding as they went about gathering up their travel items. Chan was still banned from lifting anything too heavy (his weights at the gym were much lighter than he had liked previously, but he’d been given a strict limit), so Changbin pulled his from the back of the van and rolled it to him. 

Cameras were going off like crazy, but there weren’t near as many people as when he, Jisung, and Changbin had gotten back from the States. Jeongin was jittery beside him, but his scent didn’t change too much as they pretty much stood there looking pretty for the cameras for a bit, before heading to check-in. Jeongin did exactly as he said, sticking close to Chan and side-eyeing anyone that got too close. The pack pretty much formed a protective circle around them with the staff outside of that. It was interesting to watch them all maneuver to keep Chan generally in the middle with Jeongin.

When they finally made it through security and to a secured area, he dropped into the nearest seat with a sigh. Jeongin immediately had a hold on his hand again and asked, “Are you okay?”

The leader smiled up at their youngest, “I’m fine, it’s just kind of funny. I’m used to being at the front leading, or the back making sure everyone gets through, but you’re all still so protective that you kept me in the middle.”

Jeongin pouted a little, “Well you are still recovering.”

Felix came up behind Jeongin and wrapped his arms around the youngest’s middle, “And I think someone’s going into rut.”

There was a pause, then Joengin’s eyes got impossibly wide, “I—but… Really?”

Felix nodded against his shoulder, “Yeah, it’s just barely there—” he paused and buried his nose in the other alpha’s neck “—but definitely there.”

Jeongin ducked his head in embarrassment, “So that’s why my instincts are so… high.”

Chan stood again to get closer to the younger and offer a little more privacy as he squeezed his hand and asked, “You still want to do the suppressants?”

Jeongin nodded immediately, “Yes, I reacted well to suppressants during my presentation. The doctors didn’t see any issues with me starting them right away as long as I didn’t go more than two ruts.”

Chan nodded in understanding. Suppressing ruts was different than suppressing heats in that usually if an alpha reacted well to suppressants during their presentation, they could start on them immediately, but in shorter intervals and building up over time. Omegas were the opposite. They could lessen their heats when they first presented, but not completely suppress for at least two to three, sometimes more, but if they reacted well with lessening them, then they could stay fully suppressed for a good four heats before needing to let their body cycle. That was a year or more if an omega had the normal three months between heats.

All of their alphas, except Jeongin, had already been building up for a while, and beta’s presentations barely warranted any changes or need for suppressants until they joined a pack and started leaning more heavily one way or another. All of the betas in their pack had presented fairly early and been able to start the process of suppressants the moment they realized they were swinging towards omega in the pack. It didn’t do much with a platonic pack, but in their industry, the less that interrupted schedules the better. Chan smiled at the two before him, “Go get your suppressants from your manager then and let the rest of the pack know, I’ll be fine for a bit.”

Jeongin looked him over critically but nodded and Felix dragged him away. Chan sat back with a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment, when a presence settled next to him and he peeked an eye open to see Jisung next to him. He smiled at the younger as he sat up again, “Hey, how you feeling?”

The rapper shrugged, “Okay, glad there were no incidents this time, but Binnie’s been helping.”

Chan reached up and placed a hand on Jisung’s shoulder, rubbing it gently for a moment, before letting his hand roam to his back and neck. Jisung purred softly and leaned into the touched, some of the tension leaving him. The younger curled forward, then shifted until he was pressed up to Chan’s side and had his face buried in the leader’s neck and shoulder. Perhaps it felt so intimate because of the fact that they were still technically in public, just a secured area. He didn’t much care though, not when the action seemed to bleed more of the tension out of the alpha. 

He was pretty sure the only reason Jisung wasn’t in his lap was because the seats didn’t allow it and management was eyeing them closely. Chan gave them an unimpressed look as he wrapped his arm firmly around Jisung’s shoulders. The breath on his neck was warm and even, almost like he was verging on sleep. The press of a tongue to his skin told him otherwise. He held in a surprised sound and gripped Jisung’s shoulder tightly. A small laugh left the younger and he pulled back, Chan giving him a questioning look, but he just moved an arm around Chan’s waist and leaned into his ear, “Jeongin and you were really hot together. With him being all protective over you.”

Chan swallowed, trying to keep his expression even, “He’s doing well, learning his instincts.”

“Uh-huh,” Jisung pulled a little closer and dropped his voice, “and you’re going to look amazing on his cock.”

Chan just barely managed to keep himself from choking, trying not to glance around obviously to see if anyone heard. “Jisung,” he half growled, “his rut’s rubbing off on you.”

The alpha paused for a moment and looked worried, pulling back, “Maybe… too much?”

“I mean, it’s hot,” Chan said, trying to avoid blushing and how Jisung’s eyes darkened, “just, not here.”

Jisung nodded, putting his head on Chan’s shoulder again, “We do have the hotel to ourselves.”

Chan took in a quick breath and Jisung eyed him as he continued, “And probably a few hours after we get to the hotel…”

Another pause, and when there was still no protest Jisung leaned in a little more, “And Minho agreed I was in control enough to be able to knot...”

Chan swallowed thickly, remembering that conversation from a few days ago. It had been quick, the two of them wanting to keep communication moving, but it had been hard to forget how Minho had grinned at Chan when he'd told him that part. Jisung wore a similar grin now, but it could easily be mistaken as one of his bright, gummy smiles. This close though, Chan knew just what lay under the surface of that bright smile. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan laughed as Changbin chased Jeongin down the hotel hall. The younger having made a quip about the beta’s cuteness that he did not appreciate. The hotel they would be staying in for the next few weeks while they promoted their Japanese album was nice and centrally located, with special entrances and pick up spots to help handle celebrity guests. 

“Hey, you two!” Juwon called from the other end of the hall, “be mindful of the other guests!”

Changbin had managed to catch the youngest and drag him back down the hall in a headlock, ruffling his hair mercilessly as Jeongin had flailed and yelled. The beta released him as the two called their understanding, Changbin only threatening the younger with a closed fist that Jeongin made a face at. They came back to the rest of the group and Chan quickly handed out their keys. 

Jeongin was rooming with Minho and Changbin during their stay in Japan. Chan was with Jisung, while Hyunjin, Seungmin, and Felix had their own room. His and Jisung’s room was in-between the other two, so it kept them close together and gave them easier access to one another. Management was on the other side of the hall. They all went for their rooms, Jeongin leaning to whisper something in Jisung’s ear that he nodded to, before leaving. 

Honestly, there were two reasons Jeongin was with Minho and Changbin, instead of being invited to a lovely threesome with him and Jisung. One was that he’d never knotted anyone before, and while he was learning along with Felix, Minho had been blunt in saying he was still having trouble controlling his instincts. He was only a few months out of his presentation, so it was expected, if frustrating, for the youngest alpha. It was also because Jeongin’s rut, even though suppressed, would still make his instincts run higher than normal. And if his suppressant dose was too low? That could cause his body to override the suppressants and force him into rut anyway. No one wanted to chance either, especially not Jeongin. However frustrated he may be, he had adamantly stated he didn’t want to rush if it chanced hurting any one of them.

So, he stayed with Minho, the oldest pack alpha that could get him to backdown easily, and Changbin, who could take Jeongin down before he even tried anything. The company, particularly their senior Chansung, had made sure trainees all knew how to take down someone, even an alpha, if needed. However, Chan was in a particularly weakened state, so it was better to err on the side of caution.

Jisung whooped as they entered their hotel room, kicking his suitcase inside and running to dive onto the bed nearest the window, “Mine!” He gave a muffled call. 

Chan laughed, kicking the door closed behind him and pulling off his jacket to hang it up in the closet. With a sigh, he moved to the other bed and dropped down onto it, laying back catacorner on the bed with his legs half hanging off the edge and his head near the pillows but not quite that far up. He closed his eyes for a moment and listened to the ambient sounds of the hotel with Jisung’s even breathing and fidgeting, letting it drag him down into a more relaxed state. He thought for a few moments he could catch a nap, but Jisung spoke softly a moment later, “I feel bad for Jeongin. He probably knows I got all hot and bothered just by my scent but can only do so much.”

“He’ll be able to join us more soon though,” Chan replied. “He’s just learning. When both Minho and him think he’s ready for the next step we’ll all talk.”

“It just sucks. I know this is his first rut, so it makes his instincts worse and we don’t know if he’s going to have a heavy rut or not. And if he does have a heavy rut and it overrides his suppressants and he hurts anyone? He’d never forgive himself. I'll never forgive myself if I hurt you now-”

“Jisung,” Chan cut in and sat up.

The alpha had turned on his back and was staring at the ceiling, gaze fixed with a worried expression. The drift beta got up and moved to the younger, straddling his thighs and settling down while letting his hands rest on his hip and side, “You’re letting your brain get carried away.”

“I know, I just… I feel bad now that I’ve thought about it. Isn’t it mean that we’re one room over from them, but he can’t join us even though him being hot is what set us off?” Jisung explained, lips pressed in a small frown.

Chan leaned down and kissed the frown away gently, pulling back to say, “It does suck, but I think he understands. Has he gotten mad at any of us doing stuff at the dorm, one room away?”

“No…”

“And have we always taken care of him in ways he’s comfortable with?” 

“Yes, I hope so.”

“So why would this be different? Minho’s been helping him, same he did with you, and Changbin knows his limits and how to set boundaries. You’ve gotta trust them and yourself,” Chan continued, reaching up to threads his fingers through the alpha’s blond hair. 

A low purr left Jisung, eyes staying locked on Chan’s, “I guess you’re right. You think he’d mind if I made you scream?”

“I think the managers would mind, but not Jeongin,” Chan said, licking his lips.

The grin that spreads over Jisung’s lips is slow and tilted, eyes darkening as one hand landed on Chan’s thigh while the other went to the opening of his black, button-down shirt, fingers resting just where his shirt opened on the smooth skin of his sternum. They stayed there for only a moment, before drawing a slow trail up to his collarbone and pushed the shirt open more, exposing and tracing the edge of his mark on Chan, before coming to rest over his pulse point. 

The drift beta’s eyes fluttered as he looked down at Jisung and he realized that Jisung’s eyes had hooded, looking hungry as he stared at the column of Chan’s neck while fangs peeked out over a full lower lip. They locked eyes again and Chan’s breath stuttered. Calloused finger pads passed over his jaw, then started traveling back down, until they came to the first closed button of his shirt. Jisung’s fingers were skilled though, and with slow movements, he twisted it open. He kept his fingers on Chan’s skin as he moved to the next one, then the next, until his shirt was open and Jisung was pressing a firm hand over his stomach, just above the hem of his pants. 

“How rough can I be?” Jisung asked, voice almost as low as Felix’s.

Chan swallowed hard, “Pretty rough.”

“Bruises?” 

“Only a few, we’re promoting.”

“Bites?”

A pause, “Have to be hidden,” Chan said with reluctance.

Jisung gave him a concerned look and Chan pouted, “I do want to show off your marks too, y’know.”

The alpha’s breath left him, “Fuck Channie…”

He hadn’t openly acknowledged that feeling and now that he had, the idea made each mark he had almost unbearably hot, “To know everyone knew and we didn’t have to hide it…”

Jisung’s hand moved up and laid over the side of his neck, “I could mark you here.”

Chan nodded, tipping his head back and into the fingertips that pressed into the edges of his hair. There was a shift and Jisung was sitting up, his breath hot across Chan’s neck and he could feel the edges of fangs against skin. And fuck if he didn’t want Jisung to do it, his stomach coiled in preparation for another mark in a place the world could see. They couldn’t though, not without risking the wrath of a very large scandal and he wasn’t going to put the pack through that again. Jisung knew it too, he knew the younger felt the same, which was why he was practically frozen in place. Chan put a hand on Jisung’s shoulder and pushed him back until there was space between them. The alpha whimpered, licking lips as his eyes darted from his neck up to his face and he took a deep breath to rein himself in. 

The drift beta shifted forward, keeping them close, but instead of letting Jisung back at his neck, he pulled him into a kiss. Fangs nipped at his lips and Chan immediately opened for Jisung, tilting his head slightly as their tongues slid together, reassuring the other for a moment through the kiss. The lull only lasted a moment as soon Jisung’s hold on his neck had him locked in a kiss that took his breath away. Every bit of want and hunger that had burned between them a moment ago as Jisung kept himself from marking Chan in such a blatant way, was now pouring into the kiss. 

Soon he was fighting to breathe as Jisung’s other arm wrapped around his torso and held him close and Chan moved one arm around Jisung’s shoulder while the other went around his back. When he finally managed to pull back enough to try and catch his breath, Jisung was back at his neck, but his fangs were pulled back as he nipped and sucked at the skin there. “Gonna bend you in fucking half when I fuck you, Channie.”

The drift beta moaned at the words, “Yes, please, Sungie…!”

“You’re so damn perfect, babe,” Jisung continued, starting to move down his neck and to his collarbones and shoulders.

Jisung slid Chan’s shirt off his shoulders and the teeth and lips became more determined, leaving marks behind since the area was easy to hide and murmuring words like, ‘perfect’, ‘beautiful’, ‘amazing’, as he went.

A whimper left Chan as the praise went straight to his arousal, burning through him as his hips rolled, looking for friction. Jisung reached up and pulled Chan's arms away so he could get rid of the drift beta's shirt, tossing it aside and licking his lips as he admired the other’s body. Chan leaned back a bit on his arms to give him a better view, eyelids low and letting his tongue peek out to glide over red and swollen lips. A growl left the alpha and he sprang forward, pinning Chan back onto the mattress, snatching up his hands to hold them above his head. They were kissing again, Chan giving out small whines and whimpers as Jisung devoured him. 

Chan wasn’t idle though, shifting his legs and lifting them to wrap around Jisung’s hips to pull him closer, body arching as he felt how wet he was and the way Jisung’s arousal pressed to his own. He didn’t fight as Jisung put his wrists in a one-handed hold while his other went to his chest, fingertips tracing over muscles that were building up again, making them twitch and jerk under his hands. 

Jisung pulled back from their kiss, licking his lips, “There’s so many things I want to do to you.” he said as he rubbed over Chan’s arousal, making the older moan. “I could make you come once with my mouth, then fuck you through another.”

Chan half choked on his next inhale, “A lot of faith in your abilities there,” he replied breathlessly.

The alpha grinned widely, “I’ve been told my mouth’s good.”

“Gotten the same,” he challenged back.

“We’ll have to have a contest at some point. See if there’s a winner,” and Jisung popped the button on Chan’s pants, opening the front.

“Oh, that’d be mean. We definitely need to—” His voice pitched up and cut off as Jisung’s hand reached into his pants and boxers and took hold of his cock. 

Chan tossed his head back and thrust up into the hand. Jisung groaned and licked over Chan’s throat as he pumped him slowly. Any coherent thought was quickly getting harder as Jisung let go of his wrists in favor of drifting down his chest. Chan kept his hands above him, gripping the quilt below them as his body took control and he moved with Jisung’s hand on his cock. Gasps left him as Jisung’s strained voice cut between them, “Damn Channie, I can already feel how wet you are.”

“T-told you all I get really wet,” Chan stuttered out.

Jisung shifted how their hips fit together, pressing the bulge in his pants to the wet spot in Chan’s pants and thrusting forward. The drift beta shuddered and tightened his legs around Jisung’s hips. Another purr left Jisung as he kept his hand moving over Chan’s length, but leaned down to leave another patch of marks over the elder’s chest, drifting close to sensitive nipples, but always keeping just far away from them. 

“Sungie please, need you in me, please,” He purred out, hips meeting each of the dry thrusts Jisung made.

“Oh? I really did want to try to make you come first,” Jisung said as his hand pumped over Chan’s length. “Would that be okay, babe? Could I make you come twice?”

Chan took a few breaths as he considered it, “Will I be able to walk afterwards? We do still have to go to dinner,” he half joked.

Jisung pushed up from Chan, considering the question, “Probably?”

“Han Jisung, you canno—”

Jisung cut him off with a kiss, only pulling back to say, “When we get back from Japan, when we have more time for you to recover.”

The drift beta nodded, “Yeah, okay.”

The other nodded along with him, swallowed, and then Jisung's hands were back at his pants. Chan stopped them, making Jisung give him a questioning glance, “You’re still fully clothed,” He pointed out.

“You don’t want to be the only one naked?” Jisung teased.

Chan smacked his arm, “Get naked, you dork!”

“So sexy, Channie!” Came the sing-song response. 

Chan rolled his eyes as Jisung laughed, but quickly pulled off his shirt, tossing it aside. Everyone always speculated what Jisung hid under his clothes, if he was soft or ripped underneath it all. Jisung was shy with his body, but for however lazy he said he was, he kept well in shape. Chan licked his lips as the alpha’s abs flexed and shifted when he leaned back, a hand coming up to run over them, making Jisung pause, “Like them?”

“One day I’ll get to lick them,” Chan said, matter-of-factly.

Jisung blushed, if that were possible with how red his face already was from arousal, “I mean, you could now.”

“Do you want my mouth, or to fuck me? Cause if I’m licking your abs, I’m going for that cock,” he replied as he moved his hand to the button of Jisung’s pants.

As Jisung pondered this, Chan took advantage of his distraction and made quick work of his button and zipper, then quickly pushed his hand into his boxers. Jisung gasped as Chan took hold of his length and Chan’s mouth watered. Jisung was thick, he knew that, but it was different when he was going to get to have it in him. He looked up at the alpha, raising an eyebrow and licking his lips pointedly, “Which do you want, Sungie-love?”

Jisung looked transfixed as he said, “Y-you’re not making the decision easy.”

“Wasn’t trying to, I’ll come either way,” and pumped his hand over the other’s cock, pulling it partially into the cool air. 

“Fuck, fuck fuck…” Jisung cursed. 

A moment later his hand was ripped out of Jisung’s pants and then said pants and boxers were on the floor and Jisung was practically ripping off Chan’s. The older laughed but was cut off as Jisung growled and dragged him into a rough kiss. Once they were both naked, Jisung pulled back from the kiss and sat up. He looked Chan over and nodded, “Definitely going to fuck you into the mattress.”

Chan grinned, tongue peeking out as he shifted and arched his body in a way he knew was enticing. The growl that came from Jisung this time was low and settled so deep in his chest Chan felt it more than heard it. One hand went to the drift beta’s chest, following the line of his body as the other went to his hip, the curve of his cock and knot settling against his ass. “Fuck yes,” Chan murmured as he let out a heated breath. 

Jisung grinned wide and the hand on Chan’s chest moved down, bypassing his cock, making him whimper, but settling between his legs. Fingers tips pressed over his perineum, pulling another shudder from him, then two fingers pressed deep inside of him. He moaned at the low burn that quickly turning into pleasure. “Holy shit,” Jisung murmured, thrusting in his fingers in and out slowly, “I really got you going, didn’t I?”

“Why d-do you think I’m so damn wet?” Chan shot back, gasping as the fingers thrust again.

A third finger soon joined the other two and he rolled his hips onto them, “More Sungie, please, more…”

“You want my cock, Channie? Can you take it so quickly?” Jisung asked as he leaned over the older.

“Yes, yes I can, please,” he begged, squirming and rolling his body in search of more. 

Jisung nodded wordlessly as he pulled out his fingers, then looked around, “Fuck, condom, condom…”

Chan glanced around and spotted his suitcase in arm’s reach. He stretched and grabbed it, practically ripping the condom out of his toiletries and throwing it at Jisung. Jisung made a surprised sound as it hit him in the face, making Chan laugh. Jisung pouted at him, “You won’t be laughing soon.”

“Then what will I be doing?” The drift beta asked, “You haven’t made me scream yet.”

Jisung glanced back up at him, a promise in his eyes and it sent a shiver through Chan. With the condom in place he used some of Chan’s slick on his hand to lube it up before setting the tip at Chan’s entrance. He pushed in slow, making Chan moan again. It changed into a yell a moment later at Jisung took hold of his hips and thrust in to the base of his knot.

The drift beta threw his arms around Jisung’s shoulders, gasping for air at the mix of pleasure and pain. “G-good?” Jisung asked.

Chan nodded into his shoulder. The pain was the good kind, a simmering stretch that made him tremble. Jisung stayed still as Chan adjusted, holding off until the older whispered in his ear, “Move, please move.”

Jisung nodded and rolled his hips, testing just how true the request was. When Chan only moaned and lifted his hips to meet the movement, The alpha grinned and bit his lower lip. He sped up, sitting back to put both hands on Chan’s hips and drive forward harder. Chan moved to grip Jisung’s arms for leverage, hips moving to meet them. A little shift of his movements and Jisung was driving into his prostate, making Chan bite his lip against calling out. 

The younger snorted, “I got one yell, I’ll get more.”

Chan gave him a defiant look that Jisung seemed to take to heart. He shifted back a bit, hands moving from his hips and to the back of his thighs. Chan blinked widely as Jisung tested just how flexible he was and pressed his knees down to his chest, then thrust forward. He wasn’t sure what it was about the position, but it changed everything, and Chan barely managed to strangle another yell as Jisung thrust deep and hard. 

The alpha grinned down at him, “Might want to hold on.”

Chan didn’t question it, grabbing onto the quilt since it was the only thing he could reach, before Jisung drove forward into him again. He managed to keep quiet, despite how every thrust sent a ring of pleasure through him. However, it didn’t last, because as soon as Jisung fit his slowly growing knot inside of him it dragged a cry of the alpha’s name from him. Jisung grinned triumphantly, repeating the process and punching another yell from his lungs. The alpha leaned forward until he could kiss Chan, trapping his legs against his shoulders for a moment as he murmured against Chan’s lips, “Gotcha.”

Then he was leaning back again and continued to pull every sound he could from Chan as he fuck him hard. He used his knot to make him louder when Jisung thought he was too quiet, until Chan barely managed to breathe out, “Sungie, c-can’t, gonna come, please!”

“Good, come on my cock, on my knot,” the alpha growled, thrusting particularly hard into him.

Jisung had barely touched Chan’s cock, but there was no way he was lasting. With a final yell he came across his stomach, eyes fluttering high as he tensed up and fell over the edge. He could hear Jisung still cursing above him, could feel him still moving, but he was more absorbed in his own climax. As he started to come back down though, he realized Jisung hadn’t come, nor slowed down. He whimpered as Jisung let one of his legs fall back onto the bed, letting the younger grip his hip again but still kept one pressed to his chest. 

“S-sungie…” He moaned out, feeling his body as it started to become more sensitive.

The alpha looked up at him, mouth open, fangs out, and eyes bottomless. Chan keened at the look and fell into it, letting the sound fall into a whimper as Jisung continued to fuck him through the aftershocks. 

“Wanna knot you,” came to low statement, almost a request but not quite.

“Please, please Sungie-love,” Chan barely got out, completely strung out and wanting to feel the other’s knot locked inside of him. 

Jisung whined and thrust forward hard, his knot popping once he was inside of Chan and locking him in quickly. Chan moaned as it grew large and stretched him until he felt full. The younger’s hips jerked and shuddered as he came, his forehead dropping onto Chan’s shoulder and making the drift beta’s arm wrap around him automatically. They stayed like that for a while, bodies twitching in the aftermath.

Chan finally kissed Jisung’s hair and said, “Need to shift, you’re heavy,” and prodded him up. 

Jisung nodded and pulled back until he was sitting up. With careful movements, he pulled both of them back until he was able to rest on the pillows and headboard, while Chan was able to stretch out on the rest of the bed. He pet Chan’s side, checking where they were locked together to make sure nothing was off, then sighed comfortably, “You’re fucking amazing when you scream.”

Chan laughed, though it dissolved into a moan with how it jostled them. “Management’s gonna murder us,” Chan pointed out.

“Mmm, pretty sure the rest of the pack will get to it first.”

“Maybe, they like our mouths too much though.”

“True,” Jisung said with a laugh.

When they were finally able to pull apart and clean up they were met with a slew of text cursing them out for being so loud from the pack, promptly followed by pictures of their own escapades in the other’s respective rooms. Chan had to admit two things. One; Hyunjin looked great on his knees between Seungmin and Felix. And two; Jeongin had an impressive knot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a touch late, had visitors in town and Chan and Jisung were being very particular. But I think it turned out really good. It’s making me want to go back and redo chapter 15. I mean, I like it, but I think I can do better. We'll see though.
> 
> Also, I wanted to highlight the act of maintaining and communicating boundaries, but not in an extreme fashion like calling a safe word or something. I did this a little in the last smut chapter, but I wanted to touch on it again just a little bit. Thus, Jisung and Chan’s little back and forth throughout the smut. Testing of boundaries doesn’t always need to be about busting through where the breaking point is. 


	18. New Troubles that Try to Drag You Under

Chan cheered along with Seungmin as the ballpark below broke into yells with the run that was hit, bringing in the first score of the game. It was the Swallows vs the Giants, and they were in the fourth inning. Seungmin was leaning forward watching intently and excitedly while Chan leaned back, still enjoying the game but more watching how excited the younger was. They were in a VIP box that Chan had managed to get and then carve out a few hours for them to actually go between promotions. They’d tried to get more of the group to come, but management had booked up as much time as they could for the short period they were in Japan.

~~~/~~~/~~~

_“So,” Jisung started from his spot sprawled across Chan and Felix’s lap, “did you get them?”_

_Chan peered down at the alpha and gave him a look. Jisung returned a mischievous grin and Felix raised an eyebrow as Minho peered over his shoulder at them. “Get what?” Minho asked, setting his chin on Felix’s shoulder._

_Jisung hushed him before refocusing back on Chan. Chan sighed at the younger, “Yes, I did.”_

_The rapper whooped softly, not trying to disturb the staff around them, “You’ll have to send us a picture of the field.”_

_“Oh, the baseball tickets?” Felix asked, face lighting up as he realized what Jisung was referring to._

_Chan nodded, “I still wish all of you could come…”_

_A hand moved into his hair and he had to stop a purr as he glanced over at Minho, recognizing the way the strong hand moved over his scalp. “Next time, promise,” Minho said as he gave Chan an apologetic smile._

_Felix nodded in agreement with the oldest alpha and leaned forward to drop a quick kiss on his cheek, getting a throat cleared at him from one of the managers to be careful. Felix shot the manager an annoyed look in return, his hand still carding through Jisung’s hair as if to make a point. A moment later Seungmin was moving over to them and Chan took a calming breath as the younger singer broke up the momentary tension and Chan refocused himself on the tickets in his hand. He knew Seungmin would say yes, he just would hate to disappoint him with it only being the two of them. The other beta had been in the dressing room getting ready for his turn to shoot, and he was now in full makeup with a beige sweater and a red and blue plaid sweater tied around his shoulders. It was a full flower boy concept, and Seungmin was in his element._

_“Cute~,” Chan sang out, the others joining in._

_The drift beta settled his hands over Jisung’s chest, the tickets tucked under them. The alpha subtly covered his hand, offering some comfort. Seungmin smiled broadly at them and took a moment to ham it up, posing as the rest of the pack cooed over him, before dropping the act and, in a very Seungmin show of duality, said, “Okay, stop it, you all look like fools.”_

_The coos immediately turned to boos and laughter as Seungmin just shrugged and moved over them. He poked at Jisung until he moved enough for Seungmin to sit down, the alpha awkwardly wrapping around him, yet they somehow looked comfortable. In the process Felix pinched Chan, making the leader glower at his fellow Australian. Felix just raised an eyebrow at him._

_Chan ducked his head slightly but looked over at the younger singer now beside him, Seungmin watching them curiously. For however in sync they were as a group, Felix and he were the ones with the most complicated silent language. Sure, the pack could get the gist, but there were plenty of intricacies to it. Squaring himself up a bit, Chan pulled his hands from under Jisung’s and showed the VIP baseball tickets to Seungmin, “Would you like to go with me?”_

_Seungmin frowned in confusion, tilting his head to peer at the tickets. Then it was like the sun had entered the studio and the other beta snatched up the tickets, “Baseball? A VIP box? Giants and the Swallows?”_

_Chan nodded, smiling up at the younger, “Yeah, there was a few hours that I could get carved out next Tuesday and—”_

_He was cut off as Seungmin leaned over to hug him, half crushing him back against the couch they were on and forcing Jisung to gave a surprised, disgruntled noise as he was half mashed between them. "Oh god," Felix said beside them, "the brightness, the cuteness, it's blinding!"_

_Minho and Jisung joined in with the other alpha, covering their eyes as they made it seem like they were in physical pain. The singer huffed slightly but pulled back from Chan, “Yes, I'd love to go.”_

_Chan laughed softly, smiling back at the other and ignoring the dramatics of their three oldest alphas, “Perfect.”_

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan was pulled out of his thoughts as Seungmin jumped to his feet, cheering loudly as the crowd below did the same again. The drift beta realized that the Swallows had just hit a home run, so he joined into the celebration. Seungmin looked back at him, smiling as he dropped onto the couch-like chair and leaned against him. Chan hooked an arm around the other beta’s shoulders and pulled him close, enjoying the feel of the younger pressed to his chest. 

“Thank you for doing this,” Seungmin said, taking one of Chan’s hands and threading their fingers together.

“Of course,” Chan said, then continued cautiously, “I was afraid you wouldn’t like it. I know baseball games are best as group events and you love doing things with the pack…”

Seungmin quieted and for a moment Chan thought he’d said something wrong. He didn’t get to voice his worry though, as Seungmin spoke up a moment later, “No, I needed this, I think. Not to be away from the others, but to have some time with you.”

The other beta curled closer to Chan and he immediately wrapped his arm around the younger tighter, “Why? What’s going on, darling?”

Seungmin sighed, but Chan waited, knowing the other wouldn’t be pushed and that he would only allow Chan to call him that if he really needed the comfort. Chan rarely used the nickname, having said it on a playful whim during one of their cuddle session months ago, long before he’d drifted. Chan had been scared that he’d crossed a line while Seungmin had taken a few days to mull over the nickname, until he told Chan he didn’t mind it as long as he didn’t use it in front of the others. It had been an odd thing that was just between them, and mostly when they were showing symptoms of heat and their suppressants hadn’t kicked in. He should have picked up on what that meant at the time, but it wasn't something he could dwell on.

Now it was different, and yet the same as well. Seungmin pulled back a little, not looking at Chan as he said, “I’m going to miss it. You being neutral like me… All the others, they all get stronger symptoms, even Hyunjin and Changbin. They have more head-fog and neediness than I ever have. Now it will just be me not feeling all that.”

Chan’s heart shriveled in his chest, but before he could respond Seungmin continued, as if knowing Chan would try to cut in, “I know you can’t help it, but that hasn’t stopped me from feeling like I’ve lost something.”

“I’m sorry,” Chan said softly. “We both know this wasn’t a choice, and I’d go back if I could.”

“I know,” Seungmin finally looked at Chan, “I think I’m still just working through the change.”

“Yeah, we all are. But don’t you ever let us make you feel left out, okay?” Chan reached a hand up to cup his face, “Promise?”

Seungmin nodded, “I’ll try, I really will.”

Chan nodded along with him, “I’m glad you’ll be the most levelheaded of us though. I keep on researching and I have to stop sometimes to keep myself from freaking out. Other drifts, they say it’s always overwhelming, because we can’t scent it and we don’t get the head fog. That head fog’s there for a reason. It makes it easier to handle what your body is demanding. I’m not going to have it.”

Seungmin’s expression turned worried and remorseful. Chan paused, “I don’t mean to belittle what you’re feeling. I’m just want you to know I’m really glad there will someone that knows what it’s like to not have that buffer and that can call out the others if it becomes too much. Just tell us if you are feeling left out of anything that we can control.”

Seungmin nodded, then shifted more into Chan's lap, “I really hadn’t thought of that though. You’re still going to be really clear-headed through everything during heat, aren’t you?” 

Chan nodded, “Yeah, a lot of wants, but no buffer from my instincts setting off a ton of extra hormones to make it easier to handle from the scent. Because that part of me is still very neutral beta.”

Seungmin’s frown deepened and he moved to wrap Chan in a hug, nuzzling into his neck. Chan returned the tight embrace, until Seungmin said in a muffled voice, “I’ll be there for you, through everything if I can.”

The drift beta buried his nose in the sweet apple and cinnamon of the younger, “And I’ll be here for you, too.”

They had a short period of time that way, until a knock on the door to the room pulled them apart quickly, Seungmin going back to enjoying the game as the waiter brought in their food and drinks. Once they were gone though, Seungmin immediately latched onto Chan again and the leader let him have as much as he needed. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

“You sure you’re good for this?” Juwon asked as he helped Chan setup for the vlive.

They were in his and Jisung’s hotel room. It was the most central and the rest of the group could come and go as they liked once they got back from the interview they were at. “Yeah, I promised Stays once a month and I’m almost at two months since my last one. It’s for good reason, I know.” He quickly cut his manager off as he saw him start to protest, “But I want to start getting back to normal, Juwon.”

Juwon considered him for a moment, then nodded, “All right, the other managers and I will be monitoring comments in the next room and will try to keep any vitriol from reaching you, but we’re only so fast.”

“Thank you, I know you can only do so much,” and smiled up at the older.

The manager sighed and moved out of the hotel room, leaving Chan alone to start things up like normal. It wasn’t like this was the first vlive he had done since the hospital, but it was the first Chan’s Room since then, and he wanted to at least try to start off on his own. If he needed management to step in, he could get them involved with one text message. 

He hadn’t been able to see if anyone in the comments had been problematic when they did their group vlive, management had specifically made sure not to tell him and the pack hadn’t had direct access to the comments either. They’d been too far away so they could record as a group. Now though, he would see anything that got through. He had to face it at some point, and he’d rather start weeding out the hateful commenters now than later. Taking a deep breath he went through his normal startup, beginning the instrumental to Insomnia as the vlive with live and began moving along with the beat as he waited for the notifications to go out and for viewers to join.

It was easy to fall into the rhythm; greeting Stays as they arrived and began messaging, apologizing for not going live sooner and getting a general response that he didn’t need to do so, then moving into chatting about different things they were doing for promotions that he could talk about, and so on. 

He tried to stay away from the idea of ‘pack’, his drift, and all that came along with those. Any time the comments veered towards it things seemed to get heated, but about half way through it was pretty clear he would need to address some of it. He didn’t want to make the entire vlive about it, but he had already had to tell the comments to calm down once after someone had said a few unkind things. 

“All right, so I just want to address this very briefly,” he started, “since it seems to be a topic that everyone’s coming back around to.”

He paused, trying to figure out the right words, “Yes, I am a drift beta. Yes, I drift to omega. Yes, I am still in recovery despite what it may seem. That process is really long and a really fine line to walk. Which is why I am here relaxing with all of you Stays tonight!”

Chan tried to frame it happily, holding his arms up and out in a pseudo hug to his viewers. He lowered his arms and allowed himself to get more serious for a moment, “Any discussion about the pack we have chosen to keep private, but it is not affecting the fact that I am the leader Stray Kids as a group. Beyond that, I’m not going to get much more into any details.”

He looked over the comments, trying to gauge the reaction and a bit of a mix started coming in. He could see as management caught the comments and deleted and reported them, but he saw them still. It twisted his stomach and throat into knots, and he was suddenly wishing he hadn’t said a thing. 

‘ugh, he’s too soft now. he was better as a neutral.’  
‘He needs to give up being the leader, he’s basically little better than an omega now.’  
‘You mean you’re just an omega bitch now, unstanning’  
‘Recovering? He’s just taking advantage and making the others do more work.’  
‘drift’s don’t exist. he just didn’t want to tell people he was an omega originally, pathetic.’

Quickly, he caught sight of a comment that wasn’t hateful or asking more questions than he wanted to answer, one asking about where the other members were, “Ah, the others? They are at an interview, I believe. I cannot say with who though.” And pressed a finger to his lips to signal a secret, trying to ignore the other comments and keep the mood as light as possible.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Hyunjin smiled as he watched Chan’s vlive from the car, making it loud enough for Felix and Minho in the seats in front of him to hear as well as himself and Changbin. Jeongin, Seungmin, and Jisung were in the other van. They’d finished up their interview, it had gone late because of some issues with the lighting crew but they were on their way back to the hotel. Changbin leaned on his shoulder, watching along with him as they listened to Chan ramble on about the time they’d been locked out of their dorm because Jeongin managed to snap the handle off accidentally, which took the fingerprint and keypad with it. It was going pretty well, but a lot of fans were asking about his subsex and the pack. Some questions seemed genuinely curious, some were very clearly invasive and meant to try to get on Chan’s nerves. 

So far it looks liked management was handling a lot of them, but they could tell that Chan was still seeing enough of them.

Hyunjin leaned against Changbin, nuzzling his hair softly and making the other beta purr in return. It was as Chan finally addressed the questions, giving a very brief rundown of his state and the pack’s current status and calling it good, that many of the comments turned. Hyunjin frowned as he saw them, lip curling in disgust. Not a single one of them could understand what exactly Chan was going through or how it had affected them. All of those comments were bigoted, sexist, and self-absorbed. 

The beta glanced at Changbin next to him as he smelt the beta’s scent change, going from something warm and comforting, to fire and ash that burned the back of his nose. Hyunjin turned the sound down and turned the screen over in his lap so neither of them could see the comments. “We’ll be there soon,” he tried to calm the other.

“What’s happening?” Minho asked, having turned at the change in their scents along with Felix.

“The comments are getting nasty at Chan,” Hyunjin replied, wrapping an arm around Changbin.

“It’s fucking bullshit,” his fellow beta snarled.

“It is,” Hyunjin said as he turned to nuzzle at Changbin’s hair again, “we can’t hunt them all down though. However much we all want to.”

Changbin grunted and pressed closer to Hyunjin. Hyunjin glanced up at the two alphas up front, taking in both of their dark expressions. Whiffs of blood and something rotten got to him. Felix was mad and so was Minho. Minho rarely got mad enough for his scent to shift to what smelt like rot, but when he did they always knew immediately. Hyunjin raised the phone again to watch Chan and his frown deepened. Most wouldn’t be able to tell, but he could. Even though the comments were shifting, getting moderated or drowned out by the Stays that knew better than the shitty commenters, it had gotten to their leader. “Text the other car, we’re going straight to Chan,” he said, leaning his cheek on top of Changbin’s head as he continued to watch the livestream.

Felix had his phone out in an instant and was doing as told while Minho leaned forward to talk to their manager in the front seat. Hyunjin refocused on the vlive and Changbin, pressing another kiss to his hair, “Calm down, Binnie. He’s not going to need us angry.”

He could feel how the older tense, but he spread a hand out over Changbin’s stomach and pulled him closer, pressing kisses to his hair, ear, and cheek. Eventually, the smaller took a slow breath and let it out in a long whoosh of air. He sank further against Hyunjin before finally turning to watch the vlive again. 

The comments were pretty much back in line, but they could both tell Chan didn’t have his normal bright laughter. They were back at the hotel quickly though, all of them piling out of the vans. He turned off his phone and tucked it away, then looked up as the heavy scent of wet rot hit him. Hyunjin looked over to the other van in surprise and saw a sour looking Jeongin practically barrel towards them. He nearly knocked over Hyunjin and Changbin as he clasped both of them in a tight hug. 

Hyunjin looked over to Seungmin and Jisung questioningly. Jisung grimaced, “The vlive, we were watching too.”

Changbin’s arms instantly wrapped around their youngest tightly, holding him in his steady embrace as his scent reverted entirely to the comforting campfire and chestnuts to help their youngest. That alone seemed to drag more of the anger out of Jeongin as he leaned into the older and tentatively looked up at Hyunjin, “I can’t stand that people would actually think those things. How can they think less of someone just because they drift now, or of any omega? I don’t—I can’t—”

Hyunjin cupped his face and brushed back his hair, glad that the parking lot for the hotel was underground and guarded so he could do this. “I know baby,” he softly, “be angry for a while, but you’ve got to let it go. We need to be there for Channie.”

Jeongin bit his lower lip, but nodded, “We need to get to him. He just ended his live as we got here.”

He didn’t pull away from Changbin or Hyunjin entirely, the three of them instead settling on maneuvering into a position that they could walk together in, Jeongin between Hyunjin and Changbin with their arms tightly wrapped around each other. Ahead of them Felix stuck close to Minho while Seungmin had a troubled looking Jisung attached to him behind them. Management herded around them protectively as they got on the elevator and went up to their floor. Juwon was waiting in the hall and without a word he swiped the hotel card and opened the door for them. 

They found Chan quietly putting away his laptop and some of the equipment for the vlive. Their leader looked up and they could tell the smile he put on was forced, “Hey guys, you’re back a bit late.”

“The interview went long due to lighting problems,” Seungmin said.

“Oh,” he said softly, nodding as he ducked his face away from them.

There was an awkward pause, then Felix was detaching from Minho and moving to the older Australian, reaching up to lift Chan’s chin, “Chris…?”

Chan reached up and wiped at his eyes, though not displacing the younger’s hands. His eyes were reddening as the smile shook, “Sorry, didn’t think it would get to me like this.”

Felix shook his head vehemently and wrapped Chan in a tight hug. Minho wasted no time in stepping up to the two and kissing Chan’s hair, murmuring something in his ear the made him nod in response. Chan stayed attached to Felix, arms coming up to wrap around his middle, while Minho turned to them, “Let’s get the beds together. We’re sleeping here tonight.”

They all nodded and Hyunjin looked to Jeongin. The younger looked torn between helping and going to Felix and Chan. Hyunjin nudged the alpha, “Go on, we can handle this.”

Jeongin kissed both Hyunjin and Changbin before moving over to the two Australians. Felix looked up and almost instantly the youngest was pulled in. He wrapped around the two and Hyunjin smiled as he saw Chan shifted into Jeongin a bit, letting himself rely on them. Hyunjin turned to the two beds that the others were pushing together and quickly pulled off the quilts as Minho and Changbin resituated the side tables. Seungmin and Jisung pushed the beds together and then Hyunjin was fixing the quilts as Changbin dragged all the pillows from the closet and then went to the other rooms to drag in more blankets and pillows. 

Hyunjin focused on making a nest like he would want at home once they were back from Japan. Lots of pillows as half walls, blankets that could be layered or removed, but there wasn’t enough space to allow someone to break away if they needed, not with just two beds. He sighed softly, and Jisung nudged him, “Missing anything?”

Hyunjin shook his head, “Nothing we can fix. It’s just a bit small for all eight of us. It will work, but no one can really break off if they need to.”

Jisung gave a soft ‘Oh,’ glancing around for an alternative but realizing the dilemma that there really was nothing. He turned back to Hyunjin with a frown, “Well, noted for when we get back home and we can plan that nest room.”

Hyunjin smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss, before returning his attention to the nest. Hyunjin looked to Changbin, smiling as the older made sure the sheets covered some of the more structure like pillows and added to making the nest feel more enclosed and protective. Changbin was always protective, so it made sense he would want to recreate that in a nest. Seungmin was making sure there were bit of everyone in the nest, plushies or blankets that one of the members may want. He was also making sure they each had slippers and robes outside the nest in case they needed them. They continued on, the alphas stepping back and letting him, Seungmin, and Changbin take over once the furniture was no longer an issue. 

Felix and Jeongin had dragged Chan into the bathroom and they could hear the three of them getting changed and ready to sleep. They only had a few hours until their schedule in the morning started, so it was a good idea. He hoped Chan would talk about it though. He tried to be so strong for them sometimes that it felt like he was far away. Seungmin tossed him a set of clothes and Hyunjin grabbed it, realizing that the younger had gotten everyone something to sleep in along with the other items. Hyunjin smiled thankfully, and once Chan and the others were out of the bathroom, they were able to round through on the bathroom as well. 

When they finally started to settle into the nest, Chan was in the center, still wrapped around Felix, and the two with their heads on Jeongin’s stomach as he laid out above them in the next. Seungmin had nuzzled into Felix’s back while Minho and Changbin were adjusting the nest still. He realized he hadn’t seen Jisung for a while though. He looked up to Minho questioningly, “Where’s Sungie?”

Chan’s head raised at that, the worry instantly clear. Minho shook his head and ran a hand through Chan's hair calmingly, “He went to talk to the managers. He’ll be back soon.”

Hyunjin frowned but nodded and moved into the nest, pressing against Chan’s other side. Chan glanced between then all and sighed before he started speaking softly, “I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Maybe,” Felix said softly, “but you also had a right to make sure they knew those rules still stood.”

Hyunjin nodded in agreement, “And you always tell us we aren’t responsible for other people being hateful and bigoted. Same goes for you.”

Chan nodded, closing his eyes and bringing a hand up to press the heel to one eye then the other, obviously trying to stop tears. “It’s just hard. I knew it was out there, and that omegas have always gotten so much shit for what they are. Being a drift, it’s similar but different too. I mean, how can you tell someone they don’t exist? That what they went through wasn’t real?”

Hyunjin watched as the tears welled up again and the hand went back to try and press them away. The beta reached up and took the hand, pulling it away, “No one should be told that. They shouldn’t have said anything that they did. You are real, we love you as you are. You drifting hasn't changed any of that.”

It took a moment for it to sink in, and Hyunjin watched their leader slowly break apart in front of them. Between him, Felix, Seungmin, and Jeongin, they boxed in their leader. They kissed and praised him until he finally calmed down and slowly slipped into sleep.

About an hour later, after everyone had gotten into the nest in a way that didn’t jostle Chan, Jisung padded into the room quietly. He looked in on them and Hyunjin raised his head. They shared a silent look to affirm everything was all right, then Jisung quickly got ready for sleep and moved to the nest. Hyunjin reached out to the younger, Jisung took his hand and kissed it lightly. “What did they say?” Hyunjin whispered as he sat up carefully.

“Everything’s getting presented to legal,” he whispered in return, “I had to push for it, but that can’t happen again.”

“We can’t control everything, Jisung,” Hyunjin pointed out, not wanting the other to worry himself sick.

“I know, but we can’t just let it happen every time either. These people have been out there. They just finally found a way to throw it at him so he could see it,” the alpha said, venom in his tone. 

Hyunjin nodded and Jisung looked down at the sleeping Chan, then back up at Hyunjin. The taller beta beckoned him in and let the alpha nestle between him and Chan, Minho shifting back sleepily behind Hyunjin to accommodate. Chan mumbled and blinked awake looking around and then down at Jisung as the alpha peered up at him. The leader kissed Jisung’s temple and buried his nose in the younger’s hair, sighing contentedly before falling back asleep. Jisung relaxed, but never let his grip on Hyunjin’s hand go as they settled in for sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a very hard few months, but the last two weeks in particular have been the worst for me. I originally wasn't going to get into any of the stuff that this chapter covers except the stuff with Seungmin, but I feel like how the perception of select parties of the public affect Chan needed to be addressed at least once in the story. It made this a difficult chapter to write for a lot of personal reasons I won’t go into. Please know that you are all wonderful and loved <3 
> 
> It will probably be another 2 weeks-ish before I can post the next chapter. I am taking some time for my own mental health, but I am in no way abandoning anything. I will be back, I just need a bit of a break. Thank you <3
> 
> Also, VeriVery's 'My Beauty' pretty much got me through this chapter. Please go listen to it!


	19. Let it Simmer Until it's Overwhelming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags are updated!

Chan woke up slowly. He was warm and comfortable, but there were shifting of bodies around him making him slowly open his eyes. He stared at the dark ceiling of the hotel, the light of morning just starting to peek through to curtains, and he let himself revel in the floaty feeling of just coming out of sleep. It didn’t last though, as a head of bleached white and grey hair shifted on his shoulder and pulled him more to the waking world. He glanced down to see Felix, half wrapped around his torso with his head tucked up underneath Chan’s chin. He raised his head to look for Jisung, since he had been in Felix’s place originally, and found him stirring from where he’d sprawled over Changbin and Minho. Chan laid back, satisfied with what making sure everything was all right, but as the leader moved Felix leaned up a bit to look up at Chan questioningly. The drift beta let a slow smile pull over his features and one hand rubbed the younger’s back. Felix relaxed again, a similar smile brightening his features.   
  
Chan examined the other’s sleepy expression, admiring the way his nose scrunched cutely and how his eyes sloped up as he smiled, the low light of early morning making his eyes look bottomless, and the little mismatching dots of his freckles highlighting across his cheeks. The drift beta raised his free hand and let his fingertips tap over each little freckle softly. “Little stars,” he murmured, “starshine. My starshine? No, our starshine.”  
  
He noticed as Felix’s expression shifted to surprise and Chan frowned in concern, “Not good?”  
  
“No, it is,” his voice caught as he buried his face in Chan's neck and the older pulled him closer. “Please call me that more?” Felix whispered into his neck.  
  
Chan nodded and kissed his hair, “Whenever I can.”  
  
“Love you.”  
  
“Love you too.”  
  
Felix seemed to drift back to sleep while Chan stayed awake, too aware of the way Felix had reacted to the nickname to properly go back to sleep. Changbin eventually began whispering to Jisung, nothing Chan could make out, but it was clear he was trying to get the younger up. Eventually Jisung sat up, looking adorably sleepy with his hair a mess and eyes half open. Changbin sat up as well, kissing Jisung gently before slowly directing him to the bathroom. Changbin looked at Chan once Jisung was on his way, and passed a hand through his hair, “You don’t have to be up for a few more hours.”  
  
“I know, I’m not going anywhere,” he replied softly.   
  
Changbin nodded in approval, then shifted to wake up Jeongin and Hyunjin. The four of them had an earlier schedule, but the rest of the pack would join them around midday. Chan stayed where he was, sleepily watching the others get ready for the day. Minho stirred at one point, eventually watching the others along with Chan as he kept his head rested on Chan’s other shoulder from Felix.  
  
Chan must have at least dozed because the next thing he was cracking one eye open to Jisung, who now looked very much ready for the day, leaning over to share quick kisses with a sleepy Seungmin that put small, happy smiles on each of their lips. A hand slid through his hair and he turned, eyes following the arm up to find Changbin. “Leaving?” He questioned.  
  
Changbin leaned down, “Yeah,” and kissed Chan lightly.  
  
The drift beta hummed happily into the kiss and brought a hand up to settle on Changbin’s jawline. The other beta purred, but slowly pulled back, “We’ll see you later in the day?”  
  
Chan nodded, though it didn’t keep the pout off his face that they had to leave. He liked this, he always had loved waking up in a pack pile, but it was very different now. Aside from the outpouring of affection, there was something more that pulled at him as they left the nest they’d built. Changbin tapped his lower lip, “Don’t do that, it’s hard enough to leave already.”  
  
The drift beta let a little bit of mischievousness light in him and his tongue darted out to flicker over the digit still resting on his pouting lips. Changbin’s eyes darkened but a small huff made Changbin clear his throat and step back. Hyunjin gave him an endearing look but took Changbin’s place and gave Chan a kiss as well, “See you later today.”  
  
Chan nodded, “Love you.”  
  
“Love you too,” Hyunjin responded, smiling back.   
  
Jeongin came next and gave him a bright smile and a soft kiss, followed by Jisung, who gave him a suggestive raise of his eyebrows before kissing him quickly. The rest of the pack shared goodbyes and as the door closed, Chan sighed and tried to ignore the little dip of disappointment his stomach did. He shifted onto his side as Felix stretched lazily next to him and came face to face with a still-sleepy Minho. They watched each other for a moment, seeming to try to decide just what they wanted to do next. With a small tilt of his lips, Chan’s tongue darted out to glide over his lower lip and Minho’s eyes followed it as they darkened sharply. Then Minho leaned in, letting their noses touch lightly for a moment before capturing his lips.  
  
They kissed leisurely, Minho setting a hand on his hip and letting fingertips find the space between Chan’s shirt and pants to gently stroke the skin he found there. Chan brought his hand up to rest on Minho’s chest, enjoying the way he could feel the dancer’s breath and heartbeat. They broke apart occasionally to share smaller kisses, before diving back in for longer ones and generally just enjoying the unhurried affection and pleasure.   
  
Chan wasn’t sure how long they kept on like that. It was long enough that they heard a throat clear on the other side of Chan though. They both twisted to see who it was and found Felix watching them with a dark blush, mouth slightly open as he licked his lips, and hips twisted back to keep the line of his erection from bumping into Chan’s backside. Seungmin was just on the other side of Felix, leaning on one arm and watching them with a smirk and a hand down the front of pajamas, the motions making it clear he was leisurely getting himself off.   
  
Chan swallowed hard, because he could feel his half hard cock fill more as he watched Seungmin. He looked back at Felix and reached around, grabbing his hip and pulling him flush against him, grinding back into the younger’s erection and making him whimper. Felix hooked a leg around Chan’s and grabbed hold of his arm in return, rutting against him slowly, the line of his length pressing firm to his ass. A low rumble came from Minho and Chan looked back to him. The alpha pulled him into another kiss as the hand on his hip pushed his shirt up higher.  
  
Full lips met the back of his neck and nipped lightly at the skin over his spine, making him shiver. Minho pulled back and licked his lips, eyes heavy-lidded but contemplative as he directed Chan through removing his shirt. The alpha’s eyes darted over Chan’s shoulder and the leader glanced back quizzically. Felix was watching them with his lower lip between his teeth, a hopeful question in his eyes. Chan looked between them, as it seemed like they were discussing something, then Minho said, “I think Felix is ready to knot, if you’d allow it?”  
  
Chan looked back over at Felix, breath catching hopefully. “Do you want to?” He made himself ask.

“Yes,” Felix breathed, “please babe?”

The drift beta licked his lips and nodded, “I’d love to take your knot, starshine.”  
  
Felix lit up instantly, and they heard, “Oh fuck yes,” from behind Felix.

They looked over to find Seungmin sitting up with both his hands down his pants this time. Chan laughed, “Don’t wear yourself out.”  
  
“You’re all busy, I need to entertain myself,” Seungmin said with a low purr.

“Or,” Minho said, voice low as he drew out the single syllable word, “you could come over here, Minnie. I’ll take care of you.”  
  
The idea punched the air out of Chan and his eyes immediately went back to Seungmin. The younger seemed to contemplate Minho for a moment, before he finally leaned forward and began to crawl towards Minho. Minho pulled back from Chan with a quick kiss and shifted to a better position to accommodate Seungmin. The younger stopped to kiss Chan and Felix along the way, nuzzling Felix’s cheek a moment in reassurance and letting his apple cinnamon scent envelope them, before dropping himself into Minho’s lap and arms. The alpha immediately wrapped his arms around Seungmin and kissed his neck. Minho glanced at Chan and Felix with a grin, but looked at Felix with a raised eyebrow, “We expect a show."

Chan felt his face heat up, looking away, but Felix seemed to be all for it as he pushed Chan gently onto his back and shifted over him, leaning in to kiss him. The drift beta moaned into it as hands settled onto his hips and slipped up over smooth skin. Perfectly manicured nails slid over sensitive patches, making his body jerk slightly, eyes closing as he wrapped his arms around the younger's shoulders.   
  
As Felix and he kissed, both let their hands wander. The younger’s hands continued up over his torso, fingers playing around more sensitive nipples and just below his collar bones, teasing him. In turn, Chan's hands moved down to the edge of the back of Felix's shirt and began to pull it up, fingertips playing over the lean muscles when they could. Felix pulled back from the kiss and let Chan pull the top over his hand and toss it at Minho and Seungmin, making the other two laugh.

Felix smiled, relaxing a little at the laughter, and moved to peck Chan's lips one more time before saying, "I really like to bite so..."

Chan licked his lips, "You're good keeping your fangs in?"

Felix nodded, "Yes, I've worked really hard on it, I promise."

Chan leaned up to kiss the corner of his mouth, "I know you have, Minho wouldn't say you were ready otherwise."

A low affirming purr came from the other alpha and the worry drained out of Felix. Chan cupped his face as he laid a few more kisses across his cheeks, similar to how his fingers had mapped his freckles. "Just make sure nowhere a makeup artist won’t need to deal with them, and you can mark me how you like," he advised him.

Felix nodded eagerly and leaned back, putting a hand on his chest and letting his fingers touch over a few of the marks left from Jisung, "Jisung really did a number on you."

"Mm," Chan said, then grinned, "can you do more?"

The challenge hung in the air and he watched the younger's expression darkened with a slow grin. Seungmin chuckled breathlessly from where he leaned back against Minho, who was laying kisses on his neck, "You're going to be dealing with what he leaves behind for weeks."

Chan smirked, "Good."

That seemed to kick Felix into action, and he dove forward for another kiss. This one was rougher, blunted teeth nipping at Chan’s lips and making him gasp. Fingers dug into his sides and he arched up into the other, looking for more contact as Felix kept close. The younger alpha pulled back, licking at Chan’s lips briefly, before beginning to move down Chan’s body. Felix mostly used his lips and tongue to leave marks in his wake until he came to the meat of Chan’s pectoral and sunk his teeth in, making Chan cry out. Felix pulled back, eyes questioning if he’d done too much. “More,” was all Chan got out. 

The low growl that came from Felix went straight to his cock, making his hips roll against Felix’s. The younger whined and took hold of his hips, grinding hard back into Chan. The drift beta hooked his legs around Felix’s and leveraged himself up with the pull of the other’s hands. Chan let his head drop back as Felix laved his tongue over a nipple, making Chan dig his nails into the other’s back. 

Perhaps it was too rough, and they should have been more careful. Yet at the same time, they’d both been waiting for this. Not just for Minho to approve, but for Felix to feel ready and like he wasn’t going to lose control. Chan would have to examine the sense of relief and need that spread through him as Felix marked up him up and sent thrills of pleasure through him, but it was like an itch he hadn’t known he had was finally getting scratched. And it was the best feeling.

He heard a murmur where Minho and Seungmin were, and he glanced to the side only to make a choked sound. Seungmin was in Minho’s lap, straddling the alpha’s thighs with his sweats pushed down enough for Minho to pulled out the beta’s cock to stroke it. The alpha had his other hand tucked under the younger’s shirt, his mouth latched onto his neck, while Seungmin rolled his hips back against Minho’s lap with his eyes locked on Chan’s.

A hand reaching arounf Chan’s hip and dipping under his clothes to get a firm grip on his ass pulled Chan’s attention back to Felix. The alpha had a smirk on his face as the tips of his fingers gripped a bit more flesh and half spread him, making him whimper as he felt slick leak from him. His face burnt in embarrassment for a second, but the way Felix’s nostrils flared, and his eyes fluttered, made him push into the hand instead.

“Fuck, I want you in me, starshine,” Chan moaned out.

“Wh-what would be most comfortable?” The younger Australian managed to ask, pulling back, “Just like this? Or another way?”

Chan contemplated it for a moment, “It will be easier for you to knot if I’m on all fours.”

Felix’s breath left him in one, heavy breath, eyes widening, “I didn’t think… you would be okay with that the first time.”

“Mm, good cuddles afterwards,” he admitted, smiling up at the other reassuringly.

Felix leaned down, and in a move that was decidedly soft in comparison to the marks he’d left across Chan’s chest, kissed across his cheeks, nose and brow. It made Chan laugh at the sudden affection before pulling the younger in for another kiss. When they finally parted, Chan quickly discarded his pants and underwear, Felix doing the same. Then, with purposely smooth movements, Chan twisted onto his hands and knees and presented himself for the younger.

There was a nervous pause, one the made Chan think maybe it was too much and he should just settle for something a little less showy, when a hand settled on the small of his back. It slid along his spine and up over his shoulder as Felix’s body came to press over his. Chest to back, hips pressing his very hard cock to the line of his ass, and knees between Chan’s, pressing his legs open a little wider so they were more even. 

His moan turned into a purr as Felix began kissing across his shoulders and neck, biting occasionally on the heated skin. A hand left his hip and wrapped around to his front, taking hold of his cock and stroking it in time with the slower grind of Felix’s hips. Chan savored the switch up, he was sure it wouldn’t last once he finally had Felix inside of him. The sound of something small dropping on the bed beside them made them both glance up. Seungmin had tossed them a condom. The other beta gave them a pleased grin, and Chan could see Felix grab the little package. 

As Felix worked on getting that in place, Chan looked over Minho and Seungmin again. They were in a similar position to before, but now they were leaning so that they could talk quietly to each other, Seungmin whispering in the older’s ear as he never let his eyes leave Chan’s. Minho glanced between them, and a grin slowly spread over his lips before he nodded. Chan squinted at them suspiciously, but Seungmin just smiled and hummed out, “Channie, Lixie,” then leaned towards them, “could I have your mouth while Felix fucks you, Channie?”

Chan’s mouth watered as his eyes darted down to the singer’s cock. Felix’s fingers dug deep into his sides and he felt the other’s breath on his ear as Felix shifted forward and asked, “Would you like that? Two cocks inside of you?”  
  
Chan took a shuddering breath and nodded. He’d wanted it for a while, it was just a matter of if he could physically. Fingers dipped under his chin and pulled his head up and back so Felix and he could see eye to eye. The way Felix studied his expression a moment, then stole a quick kiss before leaning back, “All yours, Minnie.”

Seungmin gave an appreciative kiss to Minho, gave one last hard grind back onto his cock that made the alpha growl, then slid over to Chan. Felix leaned back and Seungmin tipped Chan’s head back enough for them to kiss. As they did, Felix pressed a finger into him slowly, making him moan and give Seungmin the chance to sweep his tongue inside. Seungmin slid a hand through his hair as he pulled back from the kiss, “You still want my cock, Channie?”

“Yes,” he gasped out, “please.”

“Of course, beautiful,” the praise sent a little shiver down his spine and Seungmin shifted in front of the drift beta to present his cock to him.

Chan adjusted his balance to one hand and directed the other’s length to his mouth. He licked at the head, savoring the bit of precum that he licked off it, then licked along the shaft, pausing as Felix pushed another finger into him that made him whimpered. Seungmin passed a hand through his hair as he remained still to adjust a moment, before he began to take the cock into his mouth slowly, sucking softly at first and making the other beta gasp above him. 

Halfway down Seungmin’s cock and Chan had to pull off as he felt Felix press the tip of his length to his entrance. The alpha paused, uncertain, and it made Chan groan in frustration, “Felix, please, all of it…”  
  
The younger paused again, but did as asked and in one long thrust, sheathed himself entirely inside of Chan. Chan gave a choked cry that turned into a moan once the alpha was seated fully into him. The two around him stilled and he pressed his forehead to Seungmin’s hip as he adjusted to the cock inside of him. A few moments later, a hand pressed to his shoulder and fingers pulled his bowed head up to look over at Minho. The oldest alpha was checking in. “Good?” He asked.

“Yes,” Chan purred out, “so good,” and rolled his hips back onto the younger’s length, pulling a stuttering whine from Felix.

Minho grinned, “Perfect, don’t forget to take care of Seungminnie.”

Chan hummed and turned back to Seungmin’s arousal, glancing up at the dark eyed beta and keeping eye contact as he took his length back in his mouth. It took a minute for them to find a rhythm that worked, but soon Felix was thrusting into Chan with carefully time movements that pushed Chan a little bit more onto Seungmin’s cock, until he was taking the other beta to the base. Next, Seungmin began to move, hands tangling into Chan’s hair as he began to fuck into his mouth, and Chan quickly began to get lost in letting the other’s do as they wanted with him.

It was an amazing, but overwhelming feeling to just be holding on for dear life as Felix’s thrusts became faster and Seungmin’s hold on his hair became tighter. His own cock hung heavy and full beneath him, and he was pretty sure that he was going to come soon regardless of if someone touched him or not. 

What he didn’t expect was for Seungmin to push forward suddenly, holding him in place as Felix thrust forward hard, making his back arch and the alpha’s knot stretching him open as it finally slipped inside of him and settled deep, making him choke hard on Seungmin’s cock. Seungmin immediately pulled back and Chan took a few deep breaths as they all paused to check in with him. He coughed and caught his breath, Felix stroking his back and sides even as he felt the younger trembling to hold still for him, while Seungmin kissed his hair and cheeks, asking, “Too much?”

“N-no, like it,” he said between breaths and pushed back onto Felix’s knot with a needy whine, “more, please.”

There was a moment and then Felix slowly worked his knot out of Chan, thrust a few times, then pushed the knot in. Chan’s eyes fluttered high and his mouth hung open expectantly. He moaned as Seungmin slid his cock back into his mouth and sucked hard on the length. The two continued to fuck him, pressing in together intermittently. The fourth time they did it, Chan came hard, body barely holding up right as he trembled through his orgasm.

Chan’s elbows wobbled. “Keep going Chan,” Minho strained voice said from beside him, “They still haven’t come yet.”

Chan whimpered but managed to hold himself up and fought to focus of sucking off the cock in his mouth while meeting the continued thrusts behind him. It became harder as he came off the shockwaves of his climax and his tired body began to over-stimulate. A sharp pull on his hair and Seungmin was coming into his mouth. He tried to swallow it down, but Felix snapped his hips forward a moment later to settle deep within him, knot driving hard past his rim before it began to grow inside of him, locking him in Chan as Felix came with a shuddered cry. 

Seungmin pulled back and Chan’s upper half dropped forward onto the bed, mouth open with come still on his lips and across his chin. Felix dropped his forehead to Chan’s back as he worked through his own aftershocks. Chan’s eyes locked onto Minho, dopily watching the alpha slowly stroke over his spent cock, one hand covered in his come as he gasped for breath. 

There was a moment as they all rode the high of orgasm, simply enjoying the moment. Then Minho was rolling off the bed, rising on shaking legs and moving to the bathroom. Chan tried to shift, to get into a better position, but two pairs of hands did the job for him, Seungmin and Felix shifting him onto his side, Felix curling up to him and laying little kisses to every patch of skin he could get. Seungmin seemed to contemplate his come stained lips, and Chan couldn’t help raising a drowsy eyebrow at him. 

A hand stopped Seungmin before he could do anything though, and Minho gripping his shoulder as he grinned at the younger. He leaned past Seungmin and licked the come from Chan’s chin and lower lip, then was kissing the drift beta soundly, the taste of Seungmin shared between them. “Fuck,” Felix murmured behind them, his cock twitching inside of Chan and making him squirm slightly. 

There was no way a round two was happening.

Minho pulled back, still grinning, and began to clean him up, a towel laid out on the wet spot he had made when he’d come. “That was fucking amazing,” Felix whispered into his back, “it’s so much better than using your hand to trigger your knot.”

“Mm, you feel better than a toy,” Chan said, pushing his hips back into the alpha and making him whimper. 

Seungmin chuckled, leaning against Minho as the alpha turned to help clean him up. Chan reached around to find Felix’s hand and lace their fingers together. Felix leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck, “Was it good?”

Chan twisted back to kiss the corner of his lips, the only thing he could with their current position being so constraining, “Yes, it was perfect.” 

He looked over to a sleepy Seungmin, “You both were perfect.”

He could feel Felix smile into the back of his neck, and Seungmin beam as he hid slightly in Minho’s neck and that alpha scooped up the singer and held him close as they laid out again. The oldest alpha looked to Chan, giving him a loving smile as they settled in to rest a few more hours before they had to head to their schedule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that people are calling Felix ‘sunshine’ right now, but I’ve had the nickname ‘starshine’ lined up for Chan to call Felix as a sort of counterbalance for someone else’s nickname since chapter 2 – fite me (ง'̀-'́)ง
> 
> I think I am going to keep the update every two weeks for the time being, unless I get a huge burst of ideas. Things are definitely better, but I think the extra time between posts will be a bit easier on me for the time being. 
> 
> All y'alls looking for that Chanlix? *finger guns* I got chu.
> 
> Also, to everyone that sent well wishes on last chapter, thank you <3! You're all amazing!


	20. I'll be There When the Spinning Starts

It had been a couple days since the morning with Felix, Minho, and Seungmin, and Chan was waking up for another hectic day of production and promotions. He hummed as he stretched, and his hands met someone’s stomach. Once the nest had been built, they hadn’t gone back to their separate rooms. Despite it being a bit small, they’d all chosen to keep sleeping in the cuddle pile, Chan sometimes helping change up the setup with the other betas to better suit their needs. A hand came down and wrapped around Chan’s hand for a moment, then trailed down along his forearm before it was pulled up to lips that kissed across his knuckles. 

Chan blinked sleepily and looked up to see Felix still mostly asleep as he aimlessly kissed his hand and fingers. It was adorable, until the other’s scent hit him. Felix’s normal forest scent was heavier than usual, and not like when the weight of coppery blood overtook it. Instead it was the weight of arousal, and a musk that meant only one thing: Rut.

They didn’t get the full hit of rut scent often because normally Felix caught his own and everyone else’s in the very early stages, like he had with Jeongin. If Felix started slipping into it right as he fell asleep and he was still too far into sleep to recognize it now? Then that would explain why it had progressed so far. It didn’t help that he was probably already getting symptoms of head fog as well. Chan grimaced as fangs glanced over his inner wrist and it pulled him out of his thoughts. “Lee Yongbuk,” he said sharply, taking on his angry leader voice as a way to snap the other to the waking world as quickly as possible.

That did the trick instantly and Felix’s eyes snapped open to lock onto Chan. He stared at him for a long moment, a myriad of emotions playing over his features: confusion, anger, and finally realization.

“Fuck!” He yelled, releasing Chan’s wrist and tossed himself out of the nest, scrambling for his bag to get at the suppressants there.

The sudden movement jostled the rest of the pack awake as Chan sat up. “What’s going on?” Seungmin asked groggily.

“Felix is going into rut. He’s pretty far along,” Chan explained, raising a hand to pass it through the younger’s messy locks.

Seungmin scented about sleepily and then scrunched his nose as he caught it before turning into Chan’s wrist, as if to clear it out with Chan’s ocean and cedar wood, “Oh wow, yeah. Lixie? You ok?”

“Yeah, just, suppressants,” came the halting answer in a mix of Korean and English. 

Seungmin kissed Chan’s hand before pulling himself out of the nest and over to the younger, helping him look. Chan watched them closely, waiting to see if they found them before adding more hands to the search. The sound of a bottle rattling was heard, and Felix sighed in relief as Seungmin pulled them out and handed them over to the alpha. Felix immediately downed two and said, “I’m gonna go take a shower,” grimacing as he sniffed at his arm.

Chan felt arms wrap around his middle and glanced over his shoulder at Minho as the alpha put his head on his shoulder and pulled the drift beta back against him. He nuzzled at Chan’s neck before saying, “I think we might be syncing. Felix is early, and I’m feeling…handsy.”

The hands on his stomach spread to cover as much of Chan as they could and allowing as little room as possible between them. The leader chuckled in his gravely, morning voice, “You all were pretty well clustered before. Joengin must have set a chain reaction.”

Another head landed on Chan’s thigh and he glanced down to a contemplative looking Jeongin. The leader immediately carded is fingers through the youngest’s hair, “Not your fault, sweety. Either you were going to sync to us, or the other way around. Normal biology.”

Jeongin nodded and sighed, Hyunjin moving to kiss his cheek before the beta sat up and looked to Minho, “You want me to get your suppressants too?”

The oldest alpha shook his head, “I’m not entirely sure. Either Felix will be able to tell when he comes out, or I’ll know in a few hours.”

They all sat curled up for a while, just enjoying a few moments between them, before Felix came back in a fresh t-shirt and sweats and climbed back into the nest with a groan. He buried his face in Seungmin’s chest, probably clearing out his nose with the younger’s crisp scent. “Hey Lixie?” Minho asked.

“Mmm?” Came the muffled response.

“Do you think you’re the only one going into rut?”

The younger alpha paused, then lifted his head and took a few deep breaths, “I’m pretty sure you are too, Minho.”

Minho nodded and looked at Hyunjin with a pleading look. The beta hummed in understanding and got up, retrieving the pill bottle from the second oldest’s bag and handing them and a glass of water over. Once Minho had taken them, he pulled Hyunjin into an appreciative kiss before poking at his side and making him yelp, jostling Chan. The oldest grumbled and attempted to climb out of bed, only for the alpha to grab hold of him and pull him back into his lap. He blinked up at a frowning Minho and raised an eyebrow. There was a beat and then Minho turned a dark shade of red as he said, “Sorry…”

Hyunjin’s high laugh pulled them out of the moment. The dancer had taken to hiding against Changbin, attempting to muffle his laugh unsuccessfully. Chan blinked again, realizing that him trying to leave had brought out the overprotectiveness and borderline possessiveness of Minho’s rut. The drift beta huffed and said, “Five more minutes.”

Minho relaxed and dragged Chan back to his chest, burying his nose in the eldest’s neck again. “So, everyone keep your suppressants close. We’ve no clue who’s going to hit heat or rut next, got it?” Chan advised, looking the rest of the pack over as he let Minho cuddle him.

A round of understanding came, and Chan nodded, leaning back against Minho comfortably. They dozed like that until the managers knocked on the door, making them all grumble as they started to actually get up for the day.

~~~/~~~/~~~

As the day had worn on, both Minho and Felix had evened out as their suppressants had kicked in. Felix was a little more on edge and had been clingy with anyone that came within arm’s reach, but they knew he would eventually settle back to normal. He had just gotten farther along with his rut than usual, so it was taking more time for the suppressants to rein it back in. Jeongin was well out of his rut as ruts and heats usually only lasted two days at most. So, they’d spent the day going through their schedule while trying to keep Minho and Felix focused. 

Now it was the next day and Hyunjin was leaning over the couch in the sitting room of their latest photoshoot, staring out at the city below them. Chan dropped down next to him and wrapped his arm around his waist, Changbin sat down on his other side and leaned against him. The rest of the pack were either in stylist chairs as they were next up for their shoot or were in the middle of a unit setup. The three of them were done for the moment. “Jinnie,” Chan half sang, trying to get the younger’s attention.

“Hmm?” The other beta started, glancing back at Chan.

“Whatcha looking at?” 

Hyunjin then pointed down at the amusement park a few blocks over that they could see the top of a few rides for from their vantage point, “The Ferris wheel.”

“Oh?” Chan asked.

Hyunjin hummed again, “Yeah, it’d be a nice date.”

“It must have a beautiful view,” Chan said a bit wistfully.

Hyunjin nodded, setting his chin on his forearm as he pouted, “Minho and Jisung wouldn’t like it, too high.”

Changbin glanced at Chan and a smile tugged at the leader’s lips, “We could steal you tonight,” he said offhandedly.

Hyunjin paused, then turned to look at Chan skeptically, “Really?” 

“We might not get enough sleep, but we could,” he pointed out, actually hopeful that they might get to.

Hyunjin seemed to consider the proposal, glancing at the others, “Felix is still needy.”

“Felix has four other packmates that can take care of him,” Changbin replied, setting a hand on the other beta’s back. “Do you want the rest of the pack to come?” He added.

Hyunjin frowned, lips twisting, “I don’t know?”

Chan scooted closer to the younger beta and Hyunjin quickly moved to pressed into Chan’s shoulder, taking a deep breath of his scent. “Hyunjin,” Chan started, kissing his hair, “the others aren’t going to be mad if we go on a date just the three of us, you know that.”

“I do, but with everyone hitting rut it feels like I should stay close,” he said, fidgeting closer to Chan, if that were possible.

“Do you think you’re hitting heat?” Changbin asked.

Hyunjin paused, “Maybe? Felix hasn’t said anything, but I could be.” He sighed, “More reason not to go.”

“You have your suppressants, right?” Chan asked.

Hyunjin nodded, pointing to his backpack. “Then we’re fine. We may not catch it as earlier as if Felix were near, but that doesn’t mean any of us are stuck being near the pack just because we might go into heat,” Chan continued, rubbing the younger’s back.

The beta gave him a reassured smile, “Can we go then?”

The drift beta nodded and offered him a return smile, looking over to Changbin, who smiled his own agreement. A long interview, a bit of behind the scenes negotiating with management, discussions with the pack, and a few hours later, found the three of them incognito in the middle of the fair across from where they’d been interviewing earlier. The stylist had sighed as they came looking for different outfits to wear to avoid anyone finding them out, but helped them with ballcaps for Chan and Changbin, and a bucket hat for Hyunjin. Jisung and Felix had gotten them masks from the photographer who had some left over from when he’d gotten them for his son. They had little transformers sewn on and Hyunjin was particularly taken with the caricatures. 

They’d been at the fair for a good hour and Chan and Hyunjin had been vying for who could give Changbin the most presents. Chan was winning by the bag of three small plushies that Changbin already had from him, while he only had a beanie from Hyunjin. The taller beta was biting on his lower lip as he aimed for one of the balloons tacked to a corkboard, his mask down over his chin so he could see better, with Chan and Changbin standing just back to watch. “Sam,” Chan started, trying not to laugh, “you can just buy a bigger one if you really want to.”

“No way, Chris. I’m winning Lewis a bigger plushie than you!” He tossed over his shoulder determinedly.

They’d all been using their English names when they went out on dates that put them out in the public. It helped them hide a bit better and gave everyone a little laugh. Felix was the only one that went against that, accepting Yongbuk for these types of dates only. A loud pop and Hyunjin threw his hands in the air, “Hell yeah! Give me the rabbit!” And pointed at the medium sized plushie.

The arcade worker pulled the grey and white, floppy eared plush down and handed it over to Hyunjin. The beta took it with a loud, “Thank you!” And turned to practically thrust it at Changbin.

Changbin laughed as it hit his crossed arms, having acted the part of the endearing lover until confronted with the adorable plush and accepting it with a bright smile and a kiss on the cheek from the taller. Chan sauntered up on Hyunjin’s other side and took his hand, “Fine, it’s a draw for now. Let’s go get some terrible fair food.”

Hyunjin smiled big as he pulled his mask back up, “They’ll have chicken, right?”

“Doubtful,” Chan said, “I went with Sana, Yuto, and a few others when we were here studying back in middle school. It’s probably things like takoyaki, taiyaki, and a lot of sweets.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said excitedly, “can we get one of everything?”

Chan snorted, “While I know we’d eat it all, if you want that much, we should go on the Ferris wheel first.”

Hyunjin proceeded to practically bounce ahead of them as they kept walking, “Yes, yes!”

They let him go a bit, Changbin shaking his head as he moved close to Chan and wrapped an arm around him. Chan didn’t pay it much mind until the smaller beta leaned in and scented at his neck. He turned to Changbin questioningly, “Something up?”

Scenting in public wasn’t odd or uncouth, but it wasn’t something they normally did. Changbin pulled back and shook his head, “Thought I caught wind of heat, but I was wrong. I got something but it wasn’t Hyunjin’s. So, I thought maybe… Sorry.”

Chan shook his head, “It’s okay,” and nudged him slightly. 

Hyunjin came barreling back at them, grabbing their hands and pulling them along faster before either could say more. Changbin pulled the other beta back to them and whispered into his ear, getting him to calm down a little so they kept a lower profile. Chan caught Changbin’s eye over the younger’s head as he led the way to the Ferris wheel, giving him a little smirk and making the other beta blush a bit as he held his plushies a bit closer. Chan just smiled and redirected his attention to Hyunjin as they reached the Ferris wheel. 

As they made their way into line, they noticed both couples and families were piling into the gondolas, and they managed to snag one just for themselves and climb in. It wasn’t large, but they were able to sandwich Hyunjin between them and put the prizes they’d won on the chair opposite of them. Hyunjin wrapped an arm around Changbin’s shoulders and linked his other hand with Chan’s. 

Once all the cars were full, the Ferris wheel kicked on and they were moving. The city slowly came into view and the ground dropped away beneath them. As they reached the top the ride stopped, and they looked out over the lights of downtown Tokyo. The view made Chan let out a small, “Wow,” as he pulled down his mask for the time they were on the ride. 

Changbin and Hyunjin did the same, Changbin pressing closer to the younger beta as they admired the scenery for a few more moments. “It’s beautiful,” Changbin added softly.

Chan agreed with a hum and Hyunjin piped in, “Thanks for bringing me. I’d like the rest of the group to come next time, but it was nice to do something smaller.”

“Most of your dates recently have been with most of the group, right?” Changbin asked.

Hyunjin nodded and Chan squeezed his hand, “You’re allowed to do smaller dates, Hyunjin. You may not be as much of an introvert as Jisung, but you still enjoy your time alone.”

“I know, I guess I just want everyone to feel included,” He never took his eyes off the city view, picking lightly at Chan’s hand.

“And we want you to feel comfortable, Jinnie,” Chan replied.

There was a brief pause, then Hyunjin nodded, dropping his head against Changbin’s. Changbin turned and kissed his cheek before dropping his head onto Hyunjin’s shoulder. They enjoyed the quiet for a moment, something any of them rarely did, when Hyunjin shifted and moved to press his lips to Changbin’s cheek. The smaller took in a quick breath but didn’t pull away, instead turning just enough to signal what he wanted. Hyunjin obliged and let their lips press together in a slow kiss. Chan felt his breathing deepen as he watched the two, Hyunjin slipping his hand from Chan’s and dragging Changbin into his lap instead. Chan glanced around for cameras, finding none, then resituated himself to allow Hyunjin to lean against him as Changbin pushed more into him. He briefly wondered how far people actually got in places like this but was drawn back to his packmates as Hyunjin put a hand on his thigh and gripped it tightly. The drift beta leaned in to nuzzle at the younger’s neck and hair, enjoying the way their scents wrapped together. 

Something else caught his attention though. Something just barely there, underlaying everything else. He frowned and focused on it for a moment, then took in a sharp breath of realization. Changbin was going into heat.

“Guys, suppressants,” he tried.

Both ignored him, and that was when he caught a whiff of a different type of heavy scent that meant there was more than just one heat triggered. So that was why Hyunjin had felt the need to be near pack and then had spent the night showering gifts onto Changbin while competing with Chan, with the smaller beta practically preening through all of it. Not that Changbin didn’t normally accept gifts, but the way he had clutched each and every one of the prizes had been adorable and not entirely out of character, but not entirely normal either. Now it made sense though, and Chan sighed before half snarling, “Oye!”

Both pulled apart and snapped around to him in surprise. He hated that he’d needed to be firmer with them than he normally may have, but they couldn’t chance being caught. “Suppressants,” he said and tapped his nose.

There was another pause, then, “Oh shit,” and both began scrambling for their suppressants. 

Chan laughed as they quickly downed them and Changbin moved to the other side of the car while Hyunjin took his spot, putting space between each of them. “So, um, back to the hotel room after this?” Changbin practically squeaked.

Hyunjin groaned softly because everyone at the fair was probably going to start picking up on it if the suppressants didn’t start kicking in soon. Chan just smiled, “We should be able to grab some food for the rest of the pack before we leave.”

The other two nodded quickly, jumping as the ride kicked in again and they were moving back towards the ground.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Looking back on it, they really should have picked up on something going on sooner. As it was, Jisung had just started piecing it together as they piled out of the van two days after the fair date. Hyunjin and Changbin had definitely gone into heat, but the suppressants kicked in soon enough that it wasn’t a problem. When they’d gotten back from the fair, they’d appeased the pack with food to keep them from teasing the three of them for almost getting it on in a Ferris wheel gondola. At least for a little while. Seungmin had gone into heat shortly after, though his was barely there as was normal, but he’d taken suppressants just in case. Jisung had hit his rut not long after and that’s when Chan had started getting irritable. 

It wasn’t anything big, Chan wasn’t like that. Mostly it was because he was being protective. The irritability was from management pushing them through their schedule even though they were all tired. It wasn’t that abnormal for management to do this, it came with the territory of being an idol, but they weren’t overdoing it. No one was exhausted or going to collapse. Yet, even the smallest push seemed to have Chan resisting baring his teeth at them. That coupled with the bits of nesting he’d been doing off and on and the little whiffs of something they’d all been scenting over the last few days? Something was up, and Jisung wasn’t sure it was good. 

As they climbed out of the van, Jisung came up on Chan’s left, staying close and shooting Juwon a glare to get the manager to step back. Juwon took the queue and put a bit more distance around them as they headed into the hotel. Seungmin came up on Chan’s other side and wrapped his arm around him. The drift beta leaned into him and the next moment Jisung had to fight to stay standing as the scent of heat suddenly seemed to pour off of their leader, like a dam had broken. He looked over Chan to Seungmin to confirm he wasn’t going crazy, and the beta gave him a similarly concerned look.

Then in the next instant it was gone, and Chan was almost buckling against them. “Chan!” He called out as they caught the beta.

Jisung was glad that Seungmin had been latched onto their leader as well. Jisung may have been working out, but so was Chan, and he was getting close to being back to his all-muscle body. That meant a lot of solid, heavy weight. The two dragged him to a chair in the lobby and carefully sat him down on it. Seungmin sat down next to him as Chan whimpered almost desperately when he tried to pull away, letting the drift beta lean against him instead. Jisung quickly took him in; his skin was sallow, he was sweating, and clearly not focusing on any of them but Seungmin, and that looked more like it was out of need for comfort than anything else. As if coming out of a daze, Chan tried to raise his head, looking around sporadically until he landed on Jisung. Jisung immediately cupped his face, trying to soothe him, “Hey, it’s okay, we got you.”

Chan’s brow furrowed for a moment, but he nodded and slumped more into Seungmin, no longer seeming to fight to sit up or figure out what was going on. Jisung’s chest constricted at the amount of trust Chan showed with that one action, and perhaps that was why when he smelt a familiar scent, but not pack, press into their space he stiffened sharply. 

He didn’t get a chance to react though, as a loud and low growl cut through the noise and the movement around him stilled. Jisung heard whoever it was stepping quickly away and Jisung smelt the scent of blood lightly tainting fresh forest, Felix, with the sharpness of protectiveness wrap around them. It seemed to make Chan surface a bit more, managing to raise his head again before tugging on Jisung’s arm. The alpha sat down with him and Seungmin immediately and Chan pulled his hand against his stomach, gripping it before he tucked his head back against Seungmin’s shoulder. The scent of heat hit Jisung again like a freight train, and he looked up to see others wrinkling their nose in confusion, but it just… disappeared. 

“We’re getting his doctor on the line and the local specialist,” Juwon’s voice cut in from a bit away.

Jisung looked up to see him and the staff a good few steps away. The rest of the pack had taken up positions around him, Chan, and Seungmin. They were making it clear they didn’t want anyone near. This reaction was usually to protect an omega or beta in heat, but was Chan going into heat or not? “Hey,” he called for their attention, “we need to get him up to the room.”

A ripple of displeasure ran through them at the thought of moving, but Minho soon had everyone moving anyway to help with Chan and keep them in the center. It was a chore to get all of them on the elevator and up to the room, but once they were there Chan immediately climbed into the nest and dragged Seungmin and Jisung with him, burying his face in the alpha’s neck. 

“What’s happening?” Seungmin finally asked as they seemed to slowly come off the mix of emotions that were being set off.

“I don’t know, it’s like his body’s trying to go into heat, but it can’t? He shouldn’t be this early. From all the information we have, his boy’s still recovering, it shouldn’t be able to go into heat this early,” Changbin explained, having read through all the information Chan had brought back from the specialist and committed it to memory.

“What if he’s trying to sync with us?” Hyunjin asked tentatively.

The room went silent, then Jeongin said in the most dejected voice they’d ever heard from him, “So, because of me…?”

“Oh, Innie, baby, no,” Hyunjin said immediately, pulling the youngest into his arms. “This isn’t your fault, biology isn’t something you can control, and Chan’s is particularly unstable right now. Please don’t blame yourself for something you can’t control.”

Jeongin nodded slowly, but they could tell he was just doing to it to appease the beta. Hyunjin frowned and pulled Jeongin as close as he could get him. A murmur came from Chan and he raised his head, “Wh-what’s going on?” He slurred out, gripping the both Jisung and Seungmin like lifelines.

“We don’t know for sure yet, Channie,” Minho said, leaning into the nest to run a hand through his hair. “You collapsed, but we keep scenting heat from you off and on. Juwon’s getting the doctor.”

Chan took a moment to process the information, eventually nodding, “Water?”

“Sure,” and the alpha quickly went to get a bottle of water.

They remained relatively quiet as they waited for the doctor to arrive. When Minho had carefully helped feed Chan water, the drift beta could barely hold it because he was shaking badly, he had climbed into the nest as well and was now sitting just behind Chan, Seungmin, and Jisung. It was very clear he was keeping an eye on everyone from his perch in the nest, sitting on a mound of blankets and pillows. It took another ten minutes for a knock on the door to come. Changbin got up and answered it, allowing an older Japanese woman to enter the room. She bowed formally to them from the hallway, “May I enter your pack space?” 

A ripple went through them, but a low warning huff from Changbin quieted them quickly. “I’m Dr. Yamada,” she started as she mindfully made her way into their space at Changbin’s bow of acceptance, “and I’m the specialist Dr. Roe recommended for your stay in Japan. I have an idea of what may be going on, but I need to get a blood sample and give him some fluids and medication.”

She reached the nest and stopped, looked to the four there, focusing quickly on Chan. “Mr. Bang? Could you please focus on me a moment?”

It took a moment, but he eventually did. “Can you come to the edge of the bed please?” She asked, hand gesturing to where but not touching anything.

He pulled away from Jisung and Seungmin slowly. Jisung sat up, staying close to Chan, but not interfering with the doctor. She took his temperature, tracked his eye movement, and performed a number of other tests. Then she took two vials of blood before saying, “What I’m going to give you know is part a sedative and part a very heavy scent blocker for you,” her eyes darted to Jisung and the others in the nest, a look in them that said to take note. “It’s going to knock out your sense of smell and block your own scent from them for the next forty-eight hours. It looks like your body is trying to sync up with your pack desperately because you were previously timed with them. This will prevent your body from being able to tell that your pack is going through their heats and ruts and let it return to normal recovery.”

Chan nodded slowly and she smiled endearing, as if knowing he wouldn’t like the next part, “Unfortunately it means an IV.”

He groaned but nodded. She patted his arm gently and was quick to setup a makeshift station for herself. It took a half an hour to administer the medicine and then a bag of IV fluids to help it along and to replenish Chan’s fluctuating body. Once she was sure that there were no ill-effects from the medicine, she gave them her direct line and left. Which meant they were left alone with a now sleeping Chan and an uncertain pack. 

“We knew that more things like this were going to happen. Why are we all acting like he’s dying?” Felix finally broke the silence that fell on them.

“We’re scared,” Minho snapped, “none of us are happy about this.”

“I didn’t say any of us were. But fuck, can’t we at least cuddle in the nest or something?” He tried, his own fear becoming more prevalent.

Jisung was still wrapped around the sleeping Chan, the oldest having almost immediately crawled into his arms once Dr. Yamada was done with Seungmin on his other side, rubbing his back gently. Jisung still held out a hand to Felix, “Get in here then.”

Felix slumped in relief and quickly climbed in to curl up to Jisung’s back. The alpha looked around at them and raised his eyebrows expectantly. One by one, they maneuvered into the nest, Jeongin was the last. He chewed on his lower lip uncertainly until Seungmin sat up and moved to his knees to hold his hands out to the youngest. He pulled the alpha into the nest, whispering things to him that Jisung couldn’t make out, but Jeongin nodded along and seemed to finally melt into the youngest beta, and that was enough for Jisung for the moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention recovery sucks? Because it fucking does. Also, I just needed some Hyunbin/Changjin and Changbin being spoiled. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone that has been commenting/reading/leaving kudos <3 You're all amazing. I've been specifically avoiding looking the number of kudos and hits on this fic because... holy shit it's a lot more than I ever expected. Goddamn <3 thank you all again for reading!!


	21. Click Your Heels Twice and Say 'The Past Won't Repeat'

Seungmin jolted awake as he heard a phone going off, groggily groping around for it. Once he found it, he blurrily answered it, not thinking to check that it was actually his phone or who it was. “Hello?” He asked, voice rough and sleepy.

“ _Ah, Seungmin…_ ” Came a familiar voice.

A voice he’d hoped to never hear again. Wakefulness came to him quickly and he sat up, “Why the hell are you calling?”

There was a pause, “ _I… saw the news. I just wanted to check_ —”

“No, fuck you. You gave up the right to be worried about us or to call us a long fucking time ago. Don’t you dare act worried now, you piece of shit,” Seungmin snarled.

Woojin didn’t deserve a scrap of sympathy after what he’d done. Even if there was the tiniest possibility he was changing for good (which was doubtful), he’d burned that bridge like a wildfire. 

There was another pause, “ _Just… is he rej_ —"

“Fuck. Off.”

Every muscle in Seungmin’s body was stiff as he gripped onto a pillow, the closest thing to keep himself grounded. 

He knew Woojin was referring to rejection. Rejection was the biggest reason forced bonds were not a more common thing. Anyone, omega, alpha, or beta, who received a bonding bite while in distress, or that became distressed shortly after, would go into rejection. Rejection meant a few things; at the base level was that they became very sick, going as far as to collapse at times, as a way for their body to try and display their distress and bring attention to the situation. In the worst cases, the person went into a sort of feral fight mode. That head fog that an alpha or omega got during heats and ruts turned into an adrenaline filled ‘fight to till they had nothing left’ mode. There was no flight, it was just fight. It was rare to progress that far, but was more common in omegas than anyone else, and less severe when triggered in a beta. It would also cause the bite to become inflamed and distorted, trying to remove the perceived unwanted mark.

Woojin was the last person that got to be worried about that sort of thing considering what he’d done to so many women, betas, and omegas.

“ _All right, understood._ ”

“Obviously not since you just called. Go to hell,” and hung up the phone.

Seungmin stared down at the phone with a sour look raising his top lip in a near-snarl. A hand landed on Seungmin’s back, making him jump slightly, and turn to see who it was. Changbin was sat up behind him, watching him with a mild but understanding expression. His chestnuts and firewood smell edging into the heavy, sour apple and burnt sugar that showed Seungmin’s anger. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Jisung was awake to, still clutching a sleeping Chan to his chest, eyes wide and questioning as he came out of sleep.

After a few moments of slow breaths, Seungmin leaned into the touch Changbin offered, grateful as the other beta moved to wrap him in a hug. He gradually melted into the embrace and glanced back down at his phone. He blinked as he realized it wasn’t actually his phone. It was Jeongin’s. That bastard had called Jeongin, the mostly likely to give him the benefit of the doubt. His anger flared again and Changbin took the phone. “Stop,” he said, “we’ll all block the number and talk to Jeongin about what he just tried to do. I’ll talk to management too. He got our new numbers somehow.”

Seungmin’s vision blurred and his anger turned to tears he didn’t want to shed, “How could he think that we would even… that he had the right to call? And Jeongin? To ask about Chan after all the shit he put him through? Put all of us through?” 

More words stuck in his throat as angry tears fell and he curled into the smaller, but sturdier body of his fellow beta. Changbin’s arms around Seungmin tightened and he tossed the phone aside in favor of turning the younger beta into his neck and shoulder so he could bury his nose there, hiding in his warm scent. Changbin carded his hands through his hair comfortingly. He felt other hands and arms join Changbin’s but didn’t look up to see. He could tell who it was from the lilacs and forest that added to Changbin’s and made him feel a little less angry at the world. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

Everything felt strangely muffled as Chan slowly began to wake up, like waking up from an afternoon nap that had gone too long. Someone was running a hand through his hair and it felt good, but he was sore again. Not like it had been, but he didn’t want to wake up, even though something was saying he should. With a soft groan he pried his eyes open to a pile of blankets and sheets. He examined them for a moment as his memory came back to him. He had collapsed, he remembered that. Seungmin and Jisung had held him, he remembered their apple and cinnamon, and blueberry scents being something he clung to as it felt like his body suddenly just wanted too much of everything. He’d panicked, trying to hide against Seungmin and clinging to him. He only relaxed at all when Jisung had reassured him.

The unending ‘want-need’ of his body started to die down and they’d moved to the hotel room. A doctor had come, he couldn’t remember her name or most of what she’d said, but soon after he’d fallen asleep. “Chan?” The hand in his hair paused and he looked groggily over at the voice.

Minho had his hand in Chan’s hair, a worried, pinched look on his face as he looked over at him. He met the alpha’s gaze and held it groggily before he asked, “What happened?”

Minho didn’t answer immediately, moving his hand to frame the side of Chan’s face. The older frown and fidgeted, starting to try to sit up. The hand on his face wrapped around his torso instead and pulled him closer, “You scared the fuck out of us is what happened.”

Chan blinked in confusion as his throat constricted, before a hand came down and smacked the alpha’s arm, “Minho, don’t be a shit head,” Changbin’s voice came from somewhere above Chan.

The leader turned to look at Changbin as Minho gave him a displeased glare but buried his face in Chan’s neck instead of voicing any complaints. The drift beta’s confusion grew, and he looked to Changbin hopefully, needing some sort of information. Changbin kissed him lightly before starting to explain, “You collapsed again and scared the fuck out of us. Not that there was anything you could do,” and leveled a glare at Minho. “We had a doctor come and assess you, do you remember that?”

“I remember what was happening, blood was taken and an IV? But not much of what she said,” he admitted.

Changbin nodded as he moved to sit up better, “You tried to sync with us. But you still can’t go into heat, so it basically just kept pushing you to the edge of it and back. She gave you a sedative and a scent blocker. You can’t smell us, we can’t smell you.”

Chan tried to scent, finally noticing that there was just… nothing. He frowned deeply, “That… is really weird.”

He turned, trying to catch Minho’s lilac scent, but there was nothing there. He then buried his face into the sheets looking for any sort of scent, only to come up with nothing. He pulled back and slowly sat up, pulling away from Minho despite his protest. He looked around, realizing that the only person not present was Felix, and from the sound of it, he was in the bathroom while the rest of the pack was still sleeping. His breath quickened because he hadn’t been able to pick out a single one of them. 

A hand slipped into his and he realized he was shaking. Minho sat up and hushed him, “Calm down, it’s okay. It’s only supposed to last two days while we get through the last of our cycles. It’s only temporary.”

Chan nodded slowly and curled into Minho’s embrace as the alpha wrapped his arms around him. He wished he could catch even the tiniest whiff of lilacs from him to help calm down, but to no avail. The drift beta pressed closer, until Minho pulled him down to lay back in the nest. He heard Changbin shift and pressed to his back, Chan reached around and grabbed his hand, pulling it around him to keep the younger as close as possible. 

“I’m sorry,” Chan murmurs, “I didn’t mean to scare you guys.”

Minho sighed heavily, “No, I’m sorry I snapped at you,” kissing his hair, “we knew more of this could happen, but it’s been going so well…”

There was a low rumble that came from the alpha and made him shiver. The strong arms around him shifted, one hand grabbing hold of Changbin’s arm, and shifted them so Minho could wrap even his legs around them, like an octopus. Chan flailed slightly, feeling squished, but at the same time it was comforting when he couldn’t smell anything of them. 

A low laugh was heard before a camera went off. Minho huffed in displeasure, but Chan looked up to see a wet-haired Felix smiling down at them with a grin and his phone in one hand, “Tsundere,” he accused playfully and kissed Minho’s hair before kissing Chan then Changbin.

The younger alpha pulled back, “How are you feeling?”

Chan took stock of himself, “Exhausted, really sore, and panicky. It’s… really unnerving to not be able to smell any of you. A part of me is terrified it won’t wear off.”

Felix grimaced and rubbed his arm, “Just two days, you’re already a fourth of the way through.”

“What time is it?”

“Noon.”

“Fuck,” Chan said, trying to sit up, “what has management said?”

Felix looked to Changbin and the rapper and a sigh was heard as he pulled out of their hold reluctantly and sat up. They knew he wouldn’t rest if they didn’t tell him. He rolled onto his back, but didn’t pull away from Minho, letting the alpha cling to him. “Footage of you collapsing was caught. Since you were out of it, they’ve issued a statement, with your parent’s permission, that it is a part of your ongoing recovery. Lots of speculations going around again and some fans are saying it had the signs of rejection.”

Chan’s stomach dropped at that, not wanting anyone in the pack or in management accused of something like that. “What are they saying to that?”

“They’ve outright denied it. JYP is far from a perfect company but everyone knows they’ve been against the ‘perfect packs’ that were actually coerced packs since the get go and have been vocal about it since Jay Park left 2PM with all the speculation that brought. PD-nim even wrote the letter for that response himself,” Changbin explained.

Chan relaxed a bit, “It’s going to make coming out with our Marks of Intent harder.”

“But they’re only of Intent, not full marks. As long as we don’t do full marks first, there’s not much anyone can say,” Minho pointed out. 

That relaxed Chan a bit and he leaned more into the dancer. “Woojin called,” Changbin finally added quietly.

Chan stiffened immediately, “What did he say?”

“He called Jeongin, Seungmin happen to pick up. Seungmin set him straight and we’ve all blocked his new number. Management is figuring out if it was any of them that allowed the leak,” Minho explained, kissing Chan’s hair. 

A shaky, breath of relief left the drift beta and he closed his eyes, just trying to process all the information and not fall into any sort of spiral that the mention of their former groupmate may cause him. Felix’s hand touched his arm and Chan looked up, “Do you want anything to eat?”

Chan nodded, “We need to get up, anyway.”

Minho grumbled, but loosened his hold on Chan. He sat up as Minho and Changbin did the same, but slower this time, trying to get his bearings. He didn’t leave the nest yet, Changbin had given him one of those glares that said he would carry Chan back into the nest if he had to, and instead picked up his phone from the side table. He glanced over as he heard rustling and watched Hyunjin roll over to wrap more around Jisung, the alpha having his nose pressed up to the beta’s neck. Jeongin was stretching awake, but still mostly cuddled up to Seungmin. He caught the younger’s eye and Jeongin paused, looking the oldest over before relaxing as Chan smiled reassuringly at him. He returned the smile before pressing his cheek to Seungmin’s hair again. 

Chan looked away from his pack and back to his phone once he was sure they were all on their way to being awake in some fashion. There were a lot of messages, and he began to go through them slowly. As he did, Felix put a bottle of water and a sandwich in front of him. He thanked Felix and quickly unwrapped it, biting into it and stopping. He frowned at the sandwich, glaring at it. 

“Something wrong?” Minho asked.

“I can barely taste it,” he admitted with a sigh, “probably because smell and taste are linked.”

“Well, that fucking sucks.”

Chan whined softly but continued to eat it because his stomach had growled at the first bite. He continued through his messages, replying to assure people he was all right and that the press statements were true. One caught his eye in particular from Jackson. It had started off looking for if he was all right, but once he’d responded and had assured the oldest really was okay, the conversation shifted.

Jackson:  
_Listen, I’m really sorry to tell you this now, because I’m not sure how it will affect you, but the pack knows about your first time. There were mixed reactions._

Chan stared at the message for a moment, trying to figure out the best response. 

_What do you mean ‘mixed reactions’?_

Jackson:  
_There may have been yelling, BamBam isn’t talking to me and Yugyeom is snippy._

_And?_

Jackson:  
_They’re mad at Jaebeom too, because he knew it was me._

_And that you both hid it._

Jackson:  
_Yeah_

_So, what’s happening?_

Jackson:  
_I’m giving them some space. For now._

_Don’t let it get out of hand again._

Jackson:  
_I won’t, promise._

Chan pursed his lips and went back to BamBam’s text. Nothing had indicated that he knew, or that he wanted to ask a question, and Chan didn’t want to ask and make it worse. He was still exhausted, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle getting into the middle of more of his old pack’s drama. Arms wrapped around his middle and Hyunjin set his chin on Chan’s shoulder, sniffing slightly before yawning out, “Do we have to get up?”

“Mmm, eventually,” Chan replied, raising a hand to run it through the younger’s messy head of hair. 

“Don’t wanna,” Hyunjin whined, making Chan laugh softly and turn enough to kiss his cheek. 

Hyunjin’s smiled, happy but still sleepy, and slipped away, moving for the bathroom. Chan put his phone aside to rejoin the nest and try to get the others up. He may not be able to make the schedule, but the others needed to do what they could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The writing bug bit me, so I ran with it. Here's a bit of food for thought, some clean up, and some setup, whee~~!


	22. Be Responsible when you need to be, but Irresponsible when you can.

“Fuck, they’re hot as hell, aren’t they?” Jisung said as he leaned against Chan and watched Felix and Changbin freestyling their way through a group of street dancers in Shinjuku.

Chan chuckled, happily focusing on the alpha’s blueberry scent, “They really are. Sometimes I wish they danced together more on stage, but then I like that it’s mostly just for us.”

He’d gotten his sense of smell back about a day and a half after he’d woken. It had been borderline terrifying though, and when he’d smelt Joengin’s autumn and rain scent for the first time again, he’d almost cried on the spot. After the debacle that was Chan collapsing in the hotel lobby, there’d been an uproar of fans accusing the company, and the rest of the pack, of forced or coerced pack bonding. There was still some of that going around, but afterwards Chan had gone on to reaffirm the company’s statements and still stood by them if anyone managed to ask. He also urged fans to do their research about drift betas, citing reputable sources and organizations that worked to bring visibility to his subsex. That didn’t mean they were completely out of the woods with it. Like normal, there were people that wouldn’t believe anything they said, no matter how true. 

That had been just over a week ago though, and Felix had dragged him, Jisung, and Changbin out to a spot in Shinjuku, tucked away in the back streets, where various dancers went to practice and compete. Chan had tagged along to translate, Changbin had wanted time with them, and Jisung had needed some time outside of the stuffy confines of the studio. They were producing a song for Show Lu, and while deadlines were tight because of the two-day live at the end of the week, they all still needed to take a moment. 

“Mmm, especially when they get sexy,” Jisung teased.

Chan blushed and nudged the other, “Don’t start.”

Jisung just laughed and shifted into him more, “You know, I really think Changbin’s ready for Felix. He’s just nervous.”

Chan paused, then it clicked what Jisung was talking about and the drift beta glanced around, “I think he is too. Changbin’s not known to be nervous though.”

“With Felix he is. Even if they were the first of us to make it official, I remember the first time Felix snuggled up to him. He froze and Felix was worried he did something wrong. I had to kick the idiot to get him loosen up and just let him cuddle him,” the younger said with a small laugh.

“And you and Minho?” Chan asked, looking down at the other as he wrapped his arm tighter around Jisung.

“That was Seungmin. He basically just called us out and said to just kiss already and get it over with. Seungmin being Seungmin, of course,” the alpha said with a smile.

Chan leaned over and pressed his nose into the other’s hair. He remembered those events from hearsay, but he’d thought it was just going to be the two pairs. He hadn’t really noticed as others had slowly paired up or crossed over. “Hey,” Jisung broke him out of his thoughts, straightening up and turning to look at Chan directly, “Stop that. Everyone tells me to focus on the now, you do it too.”

Chan ducked his head a bit, “I am trying, but it’s not always easy.”

The alpha tapped his cheek, making him look up. Jisung quickly pulled down both their masks and stole one kiss, then another, longer one. They only broke apart as a wolf whistle rang out from the other side of the street. Chan looked over to the group of dancers waving and laughing at them playfully as Felix and Changbin jogged over. 

Changbin promptly sprawled out on the bench on the other side of Chan from Jisung. “I’m dead. Jisung, you see if you can keep up with Felix.”

Felix laughed and Jisung balked. “I like living!” Jisung yelled, turning his puppy eyes on Felix.

The younger alpha proceeded to turn the same puppy eyes back on Jisung and within moments Jisung was caving, “Dammit, how are yours better than mine?”

Chan just laughed and pushed him up, “Go on Sunshine, a little death never hurt anyone.”

Jisung looked ready to retort, but Felix grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the other dancers. Chan smiled as he watched them go on their way. A weight landed on his thigh and he looked down to Changbin. He smiled at the other beta who was still catching his breath, “And we didn’t even give him caffeine.”

Changbin pointed up at him, “Considering last time he had caffeine, the joke is almost not funny.”

Chan snorted and shook his head, ruffling a hand through Changbin’s semi-sweaty strands. Changbin purred softly and twisted slightly into the touch, letting his eyes close as he relaxed. The drift beta looked up as Changbin settled and kept playing with his hair while he watched Felix and Jisung learn moves from one of the older dancers. Chan came out of the transfixed state that watching the two put him in as Changbin patted his thigh to get his attention. The leader looked down, “Hmm?”

“Doing ok?” He asked, dark eyes searching Chan’s face.

He smiled at the other, leaning down to give him a quick peck on the lips, “Yeah, just tired. The last week has been a lot and we still have the Osaka two day live.”

Changbin nodded, “Yeah, we’re gonna keep an eye on you though. You’d better not try to do too much during those lives.”

Chan gave him a pinched look, but Changbin just raised an eyebrow, making Chan relent. He was too predictable, “In all fairness, I have been really good about not overdoing it.”

“You have, but we’re in the home stretch. No need to get less vigilant,” the other beta said firmly. 

A small smile tugged at Chan’s lips, letting the younger know that he appreciated it. Changbin cleared his throat a moment later and glanced around. They were mostly alone, everyone on the other side of the convergence of roads where the architecture allowed for more artistry. Chan looked at the younger curiously as he turned more into Chan and said quietly, “I… um… I wanted to talk to you alone, but that’s been a challenge.”

Chan paused, running his hand through the other’s hair again, “About what? This might be as alone as we get for a bit.”

“About Felix, I think, I’m ready for…” Changbin paused, his cheeks turning bright red as he looked hopefully up at the drift beta.

The realization came quickly from what Jisung had already brought up. He must have been prepping Chan for it. He nodded, “For Felix, all right. What’s stopping you then?”

Changbin fidgeted slightly, “I don’t… want it to be just us. It’s not that I don’t trust him. He was good with you, but—”

“It would make you feel better,” Chan finished for him as he struggled.

Changbin nodded and Chan gave him a smile, “Who do you want to be there?”

“You and Minho,” he said readily, “it wouldn’t be fair if it was just you watching. This way if you want to um… get off, it’s not just us and then you by yourself.”

“I’m capable of taking care of myself,” Chan said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“But you don’t have to,” the younger added, looking up.

There was a double meaning there, but Chan just nodded instead of addressing it. “Do you want it to happen here? Or back home?”

“Here, I’ve already talked to Felix. He was all right with it, and you and Minho being there,” he replied as he took Chan’s hand and fiddled with his fingers idly.

“I’ll talk to Minho, just let us know when you want it to happen and we’ll be there.”

Changbin moved more onto his back again, a thankful expression on his face, “Thank you, I love you.”

“Love you too, Binnie-love,” and smiled, giving him another quick kiss before they went back to watching Felix and Jisung feed off each other’s energy as they challenged yet another dancer to some tiktok dance off. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

“Binnie took him out on a date first? He’s such a romantic,” Minho said as he pulled Chan into his lap while they waited for the two to arrive back. 

“Yeah, and you love it,” Chan called him out as he leaned back into the alpha.

“Definitely. He took me to a cat café here in Japan! It was really big, and one of the cats looked just like Dori,” he said happily, and Chan could see his expression brighten out of the corner of his eye.

They’d had their two-day live in Osaka a few days ago and they were leaving for South Korea in the next day or two. Through the lives he’d only dance for about five of the songs each day to keep any possible strain to a minimum. Since then, he’d taken a rest day that he knew he needed and everyone had insisted on. Minho had stayed behind with him, but he rest of the pack had wanted to explore around some, so they’d taken a translator and disappeared into the city. While Changbin had taken Felix out on a date, similar to how he’d taken Chan out before they’d done anything in the hotel. 

Now he and Minho were just waiting for the two to get back so they could essentially be voyeurs while Felix knotted Changbin for the first time. A shiver ran through him and he knew Minho felt it as he pulled Chan closer. They would need to keep their cool and focus on making sure the younger two were comfortable and doing well. He could do it; he knew Minho could, but once they were knotted and everyone was in a satiated state? He was pretty sure all bets would be off, and Chan was looking forward to what might happen.

“Are you ready for this?” Minho asked, a bit quieter.

Chan nodded and pushed back against the younger, “I am, are you?”

Minho hummed, “I am, it’s going to be hard not to get distracted though…”

One of the arms around his shoulders shifted so one hand could slowly travel down his front. “You did fine last time,” Chan said, breath quickening.

“That was when Felix was with you though. You’re more experienced, you know your limits. Changbin and Felix have been learning, preparing, and doing what they’re comfortable with, but that doesn’t change that they’re still kind of in the awkward phase. Especially when eyes are on them,” Minho replied as he let his hand wander over Chan’s chest and stomach.

“True,” replied Chan, taking hold of his hand and pulling it away, “that’s not helping though.”

Minho growled low, making Chan shiver, but pinched then younger’s other arm, “I am very capable of pulling rank on you, Lee Minho.”

The authority in Chan’s voice made the alpha freeze, then bury his face in Chan’s neck. Chan was the leader, in musical production, as a group, as a pack. Even if Minho was called the ‘pack alpha’, that only held so much power among them. Chan had the final word, even if he rarely ever used that strategy. He’d rather they all had a say. Minho relaxed into him, and Chan reached up a hand to pass through his hair. He knew the fact that he wasn’t actually leader was a relief to the alpha, even if he’d never say it. Chan went to say something more, but the sound of the door being clumsily opened made them both look up and a second later a brightly smiling Felix and shy looking Changbin walked into the room, removing their coats and shoes as they went. Felix was mostly attached to the beta, making the removal a bit difficult, but they managed. 

The younger’s eyes moved over to them and Minho gave an approving rumble as Chan smiled, “Don’t mind us.”

The two shared a look, “You really don’t mind if we…umm…just us…” Felix stumbled.

Chan knew his face was getting redder by the second, so he was thankful for Minho speaking up, “Go right ahead. We’re going to watch, very closely. There will be plenty of chances for something similar to the morning with Chan the other week.”

The drift beta pinched the alpha’s leg in retaliation of mentioning that morning, his face burning at the reminder. Changbin kissed Felix’s cheek, “See, told you you didn’t need to worry about it.”

Felix buried his face in Changbin’s neck and shoulder, taking a deep breath, before straightening and turning the smaller. He pulled Changbin into a kiss, his hands tilting the smaller’s head back for better access. Chan had been on the receiving end of Felix’s kisses often enough, seeing him as he slowly went from sweet to dominating was different though. Changbin let him have him too, leaning up into the kiss and wrapping his arm around the alpha’s waist, while the other went for his shirt and tugged it out of the semi-dressing pants he was wearing. 

Chan licked his lips as he watched the other beta let Felix have his way with the kiss, but his hands roamed freely. It was interesting to see, since the last time he had been intimate with Changbin had been what they’d played around with the toys. The other beta had definitely gained confidence since then. Felix began maneuvering them to the beds. Chan and Minho had positioned themselves out of the way of the majority of the nest, allowing the other Australian to tip Changbin back into the bed easily without them getting in the way. 

Chan resituated in Minho’s lap a bit, biting the inside of his lip as he felt the bulge of the younger’s growing arousal. His own arousal was pretty clear in his pajamas, but neither of them had expected to go unaffected. The drift beta’s attention swung back to the pair as Changbin gasped loudly. Felix had slid his thigh between the beta’s legs and was slowly grinding down, making Changbin’s hips rise in answer. The alpha sat back after a few moments and began working on the buttons of Changbin’s shirt as Changbin went for Felix’s. Soon they were both shirtless and Felix was licking his lips before leaning down to kiss Changbin one more time, before moving to his neck. Chan withheld a chuckle at the sounds Felix was pulling out of Changbin, knowing he would be sporting some interesting marks for the next few days. 

Minho’s hands slid a bit lower on Chan’s body, careful as fingertips danced over his chest and stomach. The drift beta tried to stay focused, but eventually caught the younger’s hands in a hold. He didn’t pull them away, just held them where they were. Minho grumbled in his ear, but Chan just held them tighter, a little warning. 

He refocused back onto the two in front of them to find Changbin arching off the bed as Felix settled completely between his legs, lips wrapped around a nipple as the other beta wrapped his legs around Felix’s hips, pulling him in close and rolling up against him for more friction. The sight sent a shiver through Chan and he could feel Minho’s grin against his shoulder, but he ignored him as Felix pulled back from Changbin, licking his lips. The other beta pulled Felix back into another kiss, their hips rolling together in rhythm as one of the alpha’s hands drifted down and began to struggle with the belt of his pants.

Changbin’s hands quickly joined Felix’s, helping him get his pants open so Felix could slide his hand inside. The other beta moaned loudly a moment later and let his head fall back. Pleasure darkened eyes met Chan’s and his breath stopped at how damn amazing Changbin looked spread out beneath Felix. Changbin grinned and licked his lips at Chan, making the drift beta bite back a whimper and fidget against the twitch of his arousal. Minho purred into his ear, freeing a wrist from Chan’s hold and cupping it over his cock. Chan couldn’t help the tiniest whimper, eyes fluttering for a moment, only to open them to two sets of eyes on them.

Chan swallowed thickly as he met their gazes for a moment. Then Felix was leaning in to whisper something into Changbin’s ear that made him moan and refocus on Felix. Chan relaxed slightly, trying to pull Minho’s hand away again, but the alpha was having none of it. He pulled Chan back to him more, “They’re fine, Channie. Let me have a little bit of you.”

The drift beta looked to two in front of them over a moment. They were completely engrossed in one another again, but certainly not to a point where they would need the extra support. He agreed with a small nod and Minho let out another, happier purr, as he pressed the heel of his hand to Chan’s arousal, making him moan softly. Carefully, trying not to get too lost in his own pleasure, Chan resituated himself, until he was straddling Minho’s thighs which allowed him to grind his ass back onto the alpha’s cock, Minho’s hand still massaging Chan’s own length.

He pulled his attention back to Felix and Changbin then and had to withhold a gasp. Felix had one hand holding one of Changbin’s hands to the bed, the other was deep inside of his pants, too deep to just be around Changbin’s cock. A roll of the other beta’s hips and it was clear from how Changbin lifted up and onto Felix’s hand, that the alpha was fingering him. Chan licked his lips and reached the dresser, pulling out the lube there and sliding it across the bed to hit the pair’s hands. Both glanced up and gave him a grateful look that he returned with a reassuring smile. 

Felix quickly took the bottle and spread a generous amount across his fingers while Changbin got rid of his pants and underwear. Without any hesitation, they were once again lip locked as Felix continued to open Changbin up. The hand over Chan’s cock moved lower and pressed where his own entrance was, the warm, wet feeling spreading as it seeped through the fabric of his underwear and pajama bottoms. He heard Minho’s breath shift slightly and then the hand raised and tried to press under the band of said pants. Chan grabbed his hand again, tossing him a little glare that made Minho pout. 

When Chan didn’t relent this time, Minho slid his hands to Chan’s hips and shifted them instead, until he could grind his cock over Chan’s entrance through the fabric of their clothes. The devious little shit. Chan bit down on his lower lip hard, his hands landing on Minho’s legs to try and steady himself. He shook his head and looked back to Changbin and Felix as Minho kept up a slow pace.

Changbin had his head tossed back, lip bit in a similar manner to Chan, hips rolling onto Felix’s fingers as the alpha watched, occasionally glancing at Chan and grinning once he saw that the drift beta was looking. He could see the younger shift his hand and Changbin gave a short cry, cursing as his movements stuttered. Felix’s grin widened. As if to answer the sound, Minho pulled Chan back hard onto his cock, making him choke down a moan. He glowered back at the younger, but Minho just smiled at him cheekily.

Chan turned back to the scene before them to find Felix seeming to be checking on Changbin, murmuring a soft, “Do you want me to suck you off first?”

Changbin shook his head, “No, want your cock in me.”

Felix let out a low growl, which made each of them, even Minho, shiver to some degree, and sat back. He pulled his pants off quickly and pulled a condom out of his pocket before tossing them aside, Changbin watching with a smirk and hooded eyes. The other beta grabbed the lube and took the condom from Felix, before reaching down to palm Felix’s length with some lube and sliding on the condom then adding much more lube over top. Felix bit his lip through it, eyebrows drawn together as his hips jerked while Changbin prepped him. The other beta leaned up to kiss Felix again, then the alpha was pushing him back into the bed, holding him down by his shoulders. 

“You sure you’re ready, love?” He asked one more time, peering down at Changbin.

Changbin nodded, “Ready as ever, babe.”

Felix nodded, licking his lips as the only outward sign of his nervousness. Chan watched as Felix slowly sank himself into Changbin and Chan pressed back onto Minho, breath hitching as he wished they could be mimicking the scene before them. The older alpha dug his fingers deep into Chan’s hips and growled into his ear, “Thought we were being responsible.”

“Clothes are still on, you’re still sitting, close enough,” he breathed as Felix stroked his hands over Changbin’s stomach and arms to relax him. 

Despite their comments, they all paused for a few moments to make sure Changbin was good, before Felix began slowly thrusting in and out of the smaller. Minho relaxed slightly beneath Chan and let his hips lazily roll up against the drift beta while Felix set a slow rhythm. As Felix began to pick up his pace, watching Changbin closely, Chan briefly wondered what their first time had been like. They’re pack had still been so stilted in comparison to now, that watching how Felix took care to find the spots he knew Changbin liked, mapping out patterns across his neck and collar bones, and pulling whimpers from the other beta showed just how much they’d already discovered as just two. 

“Harder, Lix,” Changbin half slurred.

The alpha growled again, one hand grabbing Changbin’s hip as the other leveraged Felix over the smaller and snapped his hips forward hard. Changbin gasped, tossing his head back and gripping the sheets below them as he pressed back onto the thrust. Felix kept his movements slow though, each movement very clearly aimed for a spot inside of the other beta that made him lock his legs around Felix again, seeking more. 

“Fuck, they look good,” Minho whispered into his ear.

Chan swallowed and nodded, “Better than I’d ever imagine.”

Minho paused, then laughed a little, “Wet daydreams?”

Chan’s already arousal-red face darkened, tossing the younger a little pouty glare. Minho just smiled and nuzzled the back of his neck, “And now you’ve had both of them.”

The drift beta looked back on the two, shifting because he was insanely hard, but refused to do anything about it, even as Minho’s words made it twitch against the fabric of its confines. Minho let one hand travel down to Chan’s inner thigh as Felix hooked a hand under one of Changbin’s thighs and hiked it up high, making the smaller moan and arch at the slight change. Chan could almost feel just where Felix would be inside of him like that. “Just look at how he’s moaning, Felix knows exactly how to make him feel good,” Minho whispered into his ear.

Chan wasn’t sure if he wanted the alpha to continue or stop. It was a rather unique type of dirty talk, but one he was not opposed to. Another loud exclamation pulled Chan’s attention back to the younger pair to see Changbin with a hand on Felix’s chest, making him stop, “Sorry, sorry, too much?” The younger alpha said too quickly.

“Just... surprised,” Changbin said, catching his breath.

“Binnie-love, relax,” Chan said softly. Then shifted to Felix, “Starshine, go slowly the first few times, okay? Binnie, tell him when you want more than that.”

The two nodded and Changbin allowed himself to relax back. Felix repositioned himself and carefully, lower lip between his teeth, he worked his knot into Changbin. Chan knew when it fully settled in because Changbin gave a whimper and a fully bodied shudder. Felix stroked his hands along Changbin’s thighs as the other beta breathed out, “R-real one’s so different…”

“Felix has a… fucking big knot,” Chan said with a small laugh.

Minho joined the laugh behind him, because they all knew it was true, making Felix duck his head in embarrassment. Once Changbin nodded he could move again, Felix slowly pulled out, making Changbin curse and tremble again. It was slow going again for a while at Changbin adjusted, but soon enough Felix’s thrusts became hard and heavy again, accommodating his knot with small pauses, but always making sure he got in to the hilt. 

One of Changbin’s hands slid down to encircle his own length, pumping it in time to Felix’s movements. It didn’t take long after that for Changbin to say shakily, “Fuck, gonna…”

Felix nodded, “Me too,” he said in English as he dropped his head to Changbin’s shoulder, “can I?”

“You fucking better,” Changbin half snarled.

Felix grabbed tightly onto his hips and slammed forward hard and deep. Changbin cried out, but it quickly turned into a moan as he came a moment later, hips jerking where Felix had them pinned down. Chan was gripping Minho’s hands now to keep both himself and Minho from trying anything at this pivotal moment. He did not want Changbin to go through what he had during his first time. After a few moments, Chan tried, “Binnie? Lixie?”

Felix held up a thumbs up for his part, still hiding in Changbin’s neck and shoulder. The other beta took a moment longer, but he waved his hand as he said, “Good, just… really big.”

Felix giggled into his shoulder and Changbin moaned, “Oh fuck, don’t do that.”

The other kissed his skin somehow, Chan could hear the little smacks of lips on skin, “Felix, are your fully knotted?”

“Mmhmm,” he hummed, “won’t grow anymore.”

“Good-hah!” Chan gasped as Minho pulled his hands free of Chan’s hold and took hold of his hips, grinding up into him hard. 

There was a pause as Minho seemed to catch himself and pressed his face into Chan’s shoulder. “Yo-you need… I’m going to be too rough,” Minho said between gasps. 

Chan wanted him to be rough. He wanted the alpha to pin him to the bed and leave bruises for the rest of the pack to find. He knew that they were afraid though, especially with his recent collapse and the strain of the two-day live. He reached a hand back, moving Minho’s face out of his shoulder and up so he could press their cheeks together, “You can be rough, love.”

The alpha whimpered, “Are you sure?”

Chan nodded and Minho let out a slightly shaky breath, “Get your pants off then.”

The drift beta grinned and shifted to quickly pull off his pants and underwear. He went for his oversized shirt, but Minho’s hands stopped him. He let it go, allowing it to fall just barely over his cock. Minho was out of his clothes a second later and had a condom on. He wasn’t entirely sure where the alpha had gotten it, but he wasn’t about question it either. Next Minho was guiding him slowly back onto his cock, making Chan hiss at the stretch as the head popped in, but he was more than wet enough to take him. After that, they both let gravity take him down until he was stopped by the knot at the base. 

As they paused, each taking a few breaths, they heard a low, “Fuck,” across from them.

Chan opened his eyes to see Felix and Changbin watching them raptly, Felix’s hips occasionally rocking and making Changbin’s breath hitch and his eyes flutter. The drift beta whimpered and tried to cover himself, but Minho caught his hands. “We watched them, let them watch us, love,” he whispered in his ear as he held his hands up and away from his body.

“His shirt’s hiding him,” Felix said, eyes primarily locked on them, but darting back to Changbin now and again to check on him.

Minho hummed, letting one hand go just to grab the hem of Chan’s shirt and press it to his lips. Chan hesitated, but opened his mouth and took the cloth between his teeth while Minho took hold of his wrist again, keeping them held high once more. Minho leaned into his ear to whisper, “Fuck yourself on my cock first, I know you’ve wanted to all night.”

Chan whimpered around the makeshift gag and looked back to the tied pair. At the nod of encouragement from Changbin and eager look on Felix’s face, Chan slowly began raise himself. He moved slow at first, feeling every inch as he rode Minho. The alpha kissed across his shoulders and neck, a low rumble signaling his pleasure. It made Chan speed up, using Minho’s hold on his arms for leverage. He sank down a little bit deeper finally, taking a bit of his knot, but pulling off quickly. Minho’s growl was a warning as he bucked up, but Chan just twisted his arms out of the alpha’s hold and pulled Minho’s down to his hips instead.

Minho nosed at his hair, “You sure?”

Chan nodded, still not letting go of the shirt between his teeth so the other two could see as Minho growled again and pulled Chan back down onto his length sharply, making the drift beta arch as he gave a muffled cry. Minho paused, resituating his hands on Chan’s hips as the older leaned his head back on Minho’s shoulder, breath heavy and loud.

For each time Chan pushed up, Minho pulled him back down hard onto his cock. Chan reached down and gripped his forearms, more to steady himself than anything else. As they continued though, he heard a high keening across from them, and looked up to see Felix rolling his hips. There was no way his knot had gone down, but it was not unheard of for an alpha to still be able to come again, even while knotted. Mostly it happened during heat, but if an alpha got riled up enough, they still could. 

That seemed to be the case as Changbin shuddered beneath Felix. The younger alpha looked up, as if feeling Chan’s eyes on him, and grinned. He brought a hand up to Changbin’s chin and turned his head, making the smaller beta look over at them. He caught Changbin’s eye for only a second of shared realization of what Felix was doing, before Minho pulled Chan back onto his cock at a purposeful angle. His knot slid in and Chan tossed his head back with a cry. This position made it go a little bit deeper than normal, and it made Chan remember how Changbin had said that was one of the reasons he liked it. 

The drift beta moaned, body tense and his own cock jerking as he teetered on the edge of his climax. Minho held him there, keeping him from coming just yet. When he finally had calmed down a little, Minho repeated the process. Pulling him off his knot, fucking hard into him, then almost knotting him, before holding him still to keep him from actually popping it. 

It was only after two, strained whimpers were heard from the other pair that Chan realized Minho was egging Felix on. He was drawing it out to make sure Felix and Changbin came again, before they did. Once the two lay still once more, Minho suddenly lurched forward. Chan somehow kept the edge of the shirt in his mouth as he landed on his front, ass held high and present for Minho as the alpha leaned over him and thrust into him fast and hard. Chan’s muffled cries filled the room as he gripped the sheets and if his mouth wasn’t full, he’d be begging Minho to just knot him and let them both come. 

Minho seemed to get it regardless, dragging Chan back onto his knot one final time as his knot grew and set off Chan’s own climax as it pressed to the spot inside of him mercilessly. Minho dropped to his elbows over Chan, not about to put all his weight on the drift beta. Chan let the fabric in his mouth finally go, but as he rode his climax, he reached back to stroke the younger’s hair. “Good, so good, love,” Chan murmured.

Minho trembled at the praise and nuzzled Chan’s hair one more time, before slowly shifting them onto their sides so they could look at Felix and Changbin. Felix was watching them lazily, eyes sleepy and a satisfied smile on his face. Changbin still looked half fucked out from the back to back orgasms, but he had the wherewithal to smile at them and slur out, “Thank you.”

Chan hummed back, “Love you, love you all.”

Answering declarations circled through them as they slowly came down off the high and they each tried to convince themselves they needed to shower, even if all they wanted to do was pass out until the rest of the pack got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drop kicks chapter onto AO3* And fucking stay there!
> 
> This chapter did NOT want to be written. I rewrote it about 5+ times. It’s not even that complicated of a chapter, it just did not want to flow at all and I justlkjrtlejrtljtl;k 
> 
> *flips off chapter*
> 
> That aside, next chapter’s going to be fun :D


	23. A Little Gift and a Little Closure

Seungmin leaned against Chan as they drove back to the dorms from the airport. They’d landing back in Seoul not long ago but getting to the vans had been a bit of a chore. Several of the news outlets were still looking for more information about Chan’s collapse and a few over-zealous fan sites had put the staff on alert. They’d made it through though, and now were only a few minutes from the dorms. Jisung stretched on Chan’s other side and half whispered, “It will be nice to be back home.”

“Mmm, it will. There’s only so long we can live out of a hotel,” Chan agreed.

“I will miss the nest though…” The forlorn tone in Jisung’s voice was not lost on the drift beta.

He reached up and slid a hand through the alpha’s hair as Seungmin twisted to peer up at Chan and over at Jisung, “We’re going to be looking into that for the dorm now that we’re back in South Korea, right?”

Jisung looked up hopefully and Chan nodded, “That’s the plan. Preparations for the album will be kicking up, but I think we can find time. We can make it exactly as we want it though.”

“Can we get one of those big nest beds that pulls apart and has all the fun wall pillows?” Felix asked as he turned in his seat to look back at them.

Chan chuckled, “Probably, Hyunjin would love it.”

“You and Changbin would love all the wall pillows,” Seungmin pointed out, “you kept building up the walls of the nest in the hotel room and asking for more pillows and blankets.”

Chan blushed at the call out, but the younger just leaned up to kiss his cheek and give him an endearing smile. They chatted a bit longer about it, mostly covering things that had already become obvious during the long stay at the hotel in Japan. They pulled into the garage for the dorm and quickly got out, grabbing their luggage as they went. The other van pulled up a few moments later and they all waited for the others even though they were tired. Minho was being whiney and clingy with each of them, specially Jisung, Chan, and Changbin. If one went out of reach, he would latch onto the other, sleepily grumbling. Once everything was unloaded though, he picked himself up and grabbed his luggage with a sigh. They each grabbed as much as they could carry and made their way up to the dorms. 

Felix and Jeongin were the first inside, filtering in bags and organizing things a bit so that when they woke up the next day it wouldn’t be a disaster. It would probably still be a disaster, but they could at least say they tried. Chan didn’t notice as Changbin drifted to their bedrooms until he came half running back out, pointing back towards the rooms in confusion. Chan straightened in concern, “Binnie? What’s wrong?”

The beta hesitated, then said, “I—the rooms have been redone.”

Chan’s eyebrows shot up, “What? What do you mean?”

“Well, they’re not complete,” came Jisung’s sheepish voice.

Chan looked over at the alpha, who was biting his lower lip nervously. Minho hummed in agreement casually though, “There were some finishing touches that they couldn’t get done in time. Like the added sheets in the nest room because they’re a specific type for preheats, but we should have those this week. Most of the time was spent redoing the floors for oversensitivity during heats and ruts.”

“After that it took a bit to get the right nest bed and accessories we would all want, as well as the separate beds in the second room set up, so everyone could sleep comfortably,” Jeongin said, looking hopefully at Hyunjin and Seungmin.

“They have one more cabinet to install in the third room, but after that, it’ll be all done. Oh, and the bathroom's done,” Felix added.

The leader stared at the alphas for a long moment, astonished, before glancing over at his fellow betas. Seungmin and Hyunjin had slow smiles spreading over their faces, before Hyunjin took Chan's arm as Seungmin moved to the first room. Chan grabbed onto Changbin as they went by, not about to be the only one pulled along.

The room they stepped into was vastly different from the original. New paint brightened the walls and had wiped away the damage of eight or more boys living in close proximity. In the center of the room, under the large window that was rarely opened, was a large nest bed. It was one that Hyunjin had been fawning over for months now, and one that Seungmin had expressed similar interest it. The bed was big enough for all of them, taking up the majority of the room, but could still be pulled apart and shifted around to allow more sleeping patterns, and had a variety of wall pillows that could be used to create nest walls that interlocked and so on. Chan knew that was for Changbin and himself with the previously mentioned habits of piling up pillows and blankets on the beds in the hotel.

A deep headboard wrapped around the bed wherever it touched a wall, offering a place for them to place phones, chargers, or whatever else they wanted. It also had drawers that pulled out just above the mattress for more storage that was lost from the size of the bed. To top it off, there was a bunk above the main bed that could probably house two people, giving a little private alcove if anyone wanted it. 

The wall next to the door had a line of robes and slippers, the robes hung on wooden hangers above the slippers, reminiscent of the setup Seungmin had created for them in the hotel as well, something personal for them to slip on if needed. 

“Holy shit,” Hyunjin breathed next to Changbin.

Chan would have mimicked the sentiment, but he realized that they said they’d redone _all_ the rooms. He ducked away, Seungmin following after him, to the second of their three rooms. It had been repainted as well, but the desks and personal spaces that had been in the room before had been removed and instead had extra beds placed instead. They were most of their old beds, with a couple that looked to have been replaced, and on the wall with the cabinets had been filled in with more of them.

“This is the one made for if any of us don’t want to join the nest. Or if someone’s working late and don’t want to disturb anyone, or just schedules conflicting,” Minho explained behind them. 

Chan looked over at him with a thankful smile. Seungmin moved past them a moment later, this time dragging Hyunjin along and creating another trailing effect as Hyunjin grabbed Changbin and he grabbed Chan. They looked over the bathroom, not too much had changed there, but it was redone. The shower was slightly larger and necessities for after heat and rut care were added that weren’t needed with a platonic pack. The last room had been a part storage, part office for them, but it had been given new cabinets and all their desks and personal spaces were in there now. 

The biggest change really had been the nest room, and the little extras the four alphas added showed that they had been paying attention. Chan turned to look at the other half of their pack; Minho was watching intently, if a bit stoically to try and pass off that he was nervous but wasn’t going to show it. Jisung and Felix was jittering bodies of energy and he immediately wondered why he hadn’t taken note of it before. They had been doing it the entire ride home, but they were all too tired to notice it or just passed it off as their normal fidgetiness. Now it was obvious, especially with Jeongin watching them as he chewed nervously on his lower lip.

“How long were you guys planning this?” He asked, letting the other betas continue to explore the new rooms excitedly. 

Jisung smiled brightly as he readily explained, “Minho thought of it shortly after it was first mentioned, before we went to Japan. We wanted to have it all done before we got back, but a few things didn’t really work out as well as we wanted.”

Chan was about to praise them, a smile stretching wide across his face, when two forms dashed passed him and Changbin had Minho and Jisung in tight hugs, with Hyunjin shower kisses on Jeongin and Felix. Exclamations of how much they loved everything and gushing over the little details could be heard as Chan laughed at how the alphas flailed and tried to pass it off as nothing, only to melt into the two over-excited beta’s embraces. 

Th drift beta was so busy laughing at the way Hyunjin was slowly dragging them all towards the nest room, that he didn’t pay it much mind as Seungmin grabbed him by the waist and pulled him along as well. Moments later, they were sprawled out on the nest bed, already starting to play around with different setups. Minho had dragged Changbin up to the bunk bed and was now happily cuddling him and nuzzling into his neck. The clingy, sleepy act had been very real before, even if the alpha had perked up while they’d discovered the surprise. Now he was back to being half asleep and wrapped around someone permanently. Changbin had 'volunteered' as tribute. Seungmin reached up and handed Changbin one of the pink plushies, making the rapper smile widely and clutch it in his free arm, the other wrapped around Minho. Felix sidled up to Chan as the leader fitted a few wall pillows together and set his chin on Chan’s shoulder, “We’re glad you all like it. It was such a big deal, we were all afraid we’d miss something.”

Chan turned and pulled the alpha into a hug, kissing his hair, “I’m sure we’ll add our personal touches, but this was amazing.”

Jisung leaned against Chan’s back as he said, “Yeah, we are pretty amazing.”

Seungmin and Hyunjin made twin disgusted sounds, but instead of calling jinx, they shoved Jisung almost out of the nest in retaliation for the self-praise, making the alpha laugh as he playfully called foul.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan was laying in the nest a few days later with Hyunjin curled up against him, his head on the drift beta's chest as he napped. It was a few hours of down time before they went to the dance studio, planning to meet the others that had been at their own schedules for the day. He was hoping for just a few hours of sleep and snuggling with Hyunjin because they hadn’t gotten much of either since they landed back in South Korea. They had an album to get ready for and promotions to start. 

So, when his phone rang he groaned in mild protest. Hyunjin sleepily raised his head, frowning. Chan picked up the phone to check who it was and his eyebrows raised in surprise. BamBam was calling, but he never called. He texted more than anyone else Chan knew, but rarely called unless there was a good reason for it. He looked at Hyunjin with an apologetic expression, but the other beta just shrugged and snuggled more into his chest. Chan picked up the call and put the phone to his ear, “Hey Bammie.”

 _“Hey Channie, how are you?”_ Came the bright voice of the older.

“I’m fine, just resting while I can,” he responded. “What’s going on?”

There was a pause, then a tired sigh, _“I’m sorry Channie, but have you talked to Jackson recently?”_

Chan’s stomach dropped at the question, but he held in his reaction, “Not for a while, why?”

 _“He’s been… avoiding us. Me actually. At first it was all of us, but then Jinyoung and Yugyeom talked to him and then it kind of became just me...”_ Bambam admitted, a little edge of desperation his voice. 

Chan kept the rare anger that twisted his lips down as deep as he could. “Because you over-reacted.”

There was a long silence on the line before a soft, _“Yeah…”_

The drift beta nuzzled into Hyunjin's hair as the younger moved up to wrap around him a bit more. “Have you tried to talk to him?”

 _“Yes, but he keeps finding ways out of it…”_ The admission was uncharacteristically soft.

“Twenty minutes?” He requested as he wrapped an arm around Hyunjin tighter.

Another pause, then, _“Twenty minutes.”_

They said their goodbyes and before Chan could ask him to move, Hyunjin sat up and looked at him worriedly. Chan sat up with an annoyed grimace that made the beta pout in mild hurt. The drift beta sighed, “Not annoyed at you, Jinnie-love. People are just being idiots, again.”

“GOT7?” He asked tentatively.

Chan nodded and the dancer wrapped his arms around the leader tightly again, “You don’t have to get involved.”

The leader paused and looked to him, “I know, I just… want to throw something at Jackson. Then I’ll leave it to BamBam. I’m just getting him in the door.”

Hyunjin scoffed, “So, I was right? Jackson was the one that took your virginity, and something happened recently?”

Chan could feel his ears turn red and the blush spread, “Yeah, he was, and yes something happened. He finally told the rest of his pack and they apparently didn’t react well. I told him not to be an idiot about it, but here they are, doing it again. Apparently Jinyoung and Yugyeom have already talked to Jackson, but he’s still avoiding BamBam to a certain extent.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, “First it was Jinyoung and Jaebeom, then BamBam and Yugyeom, now it’s Jackson and BamBam. I swear, Youngjae and Mark are the only ones with any sort of relationship capabilities, and they can only make up so much with the rest of the pack's ineptitude.”

Hyunjin laughed as he shook his head, “All right, but this is the last time you get involved, okay?” And moved to press a kiss to Chan’s cheek.

The drift beta nodded, “Promise.”

Hyunjin wrapped him in one last quick hug and Chan picked up his phone, beginning to text Jackson.

_Where are you?_

Jackson:  
 _At my apartment, why?_

_BamBam called, I’m coming over. Don’t you dare try to go anywhere._

Jackson:  
 _Channie, you don’t need to get in the middle of this._

_Are you going to stop avoiding BamBam?_

Jackson:  
 _Yes_.

 _When_?

Jackson:  
 _Soon, I promise._

_Still coming by. See you in thirty minutes._

He looked up from his phone to see Hyunjin getting dressed and paused, “Jinnie?”

“I’m coming with you,” the other said definitively.

Chan stared at him for a moment but knew that look meant he wasn’t going to be talked out of it. It made a bit of the weight slide off his shoulders and he looked at the other appreciatively, “You really are a prince, you know that.”

Hyunjin paused, looking at Chan in surprise. He moved over to the older and cupped his face, kissing over his cheeks and lips, “Always for you.”

They shared one more kiss before they both pulled away and Hyunjin continued getting dressed while Chan called BamBam and told him to meet them at Jackson’s apartment in thirty minutes.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Chan pressed the doorbell for Jackson’s apartment, Hyunjin at his elbow. BamBam was on his way but hadn’t been able to get out of his schedule as quickly as he wanted. It was fine though; they could talk to Jackson for a bit before the omega got there. Things would get emotional when he did, Chan was sure of it. The door to Jackson’s apartment opened cautiously and the alpha peered out. He looked between Chan and Hyunjin uncertainly, but eventually let the door open fully for them to enter. “Hey Channie, Hyunjin,” and gave a small bow to them.

Chan sighed in exasperation and moved forward, dragging the older into a hug. Jackson paused, and Chan could feel a brief exchange between him and Hyunjin, before the alpha wrapped his arms tightly around Chan and held him close as he murmured, “Sorry.”

The drift beta held him a little tighter, “It’ll be okay.”

He heard Hyunjin move into the entry way, the door closing behind them, with him and Jackson as the alpha buried his face in Chan’s shoulder, carefully keeping away from his neck where Chan’s own packmates scents were strong. The door closed and Chan finally pulled back, “BamBam’s gonna be here in about twenty.”

Jackson took in a sharp breath, “Yeah… Yeah, okay.”

“He called me, Jackson. He’s worried as hell,” Chan reasoned as they moved into the living room.

Jackson huffed, “Certainly not how he’s been acting. He’s been… petty.”

“BamBam _is_ petty, you know that,” Chan pointed out.

“I know, I really do. It just, hit some old wounds,” the alpha replied uncertainly.

“Well, you can tell him that when he gets here.”

Jackson nodded and pulled Chan into another hug. The rapper had always been extremely tactile, especially when upset. Chan felt as Hyunjin was somehow pulled into the hug as well and laughed when the dancer made a confused sound but accepted the affection with an awkward pat to the alpha's shoulder.

It only lasted a minute though, as the doorbell rang and they all looked to it. “Well, that was faster than he said. He must have made his manager gun it here.”

“What?! That’s dangerous! Why would he…” Jackson trailed off as he marched over to the door and threw it open. “Bammie, yo—”

Chan winced as there was a loud thud and Hyunjin hissed in sympathetic pain, “That’ll leave a mark.”

BamBam had close to body-checked the shorter into the cabinets of the entryway, wrapping around Jackson almost octopus-style. Jackson recovered quickly and hugged BamBam in return, murmuring something to the younger that just made him nod and burrow deeper into Jackson’s neck. Chan looked over at Hyunjin and pulled out his phone, making the younger giggle behind his hand. He snapped a few silent pictures and sent them off to the rest of GOT7 and then saved it for blackmail. 

One could never have enough blackmail where BamBam was concerned. 

He looked up again as the omega finally detached from Jackson, quickly wiping away a few tears. The omega moved over to them and pulled Chan into a hug quickly, then gave one the Hyunjin as well as he spoke, “Sorry to involve you guys in this. I wasn’t sure how else to do this with someone avoiding me and Yugyeom and Jinyoung not saying anything…”

Chan could see Jackson grimace at the side comment as he moved to lean again the couch arm, but ignored it as he shook his head, “Next time you need to be the one to corner him, ok? Why were you mad anyway? It’s been years since all this, and I _told_ you it was an accident. So did Jaebeom.”

BamBam glanced at Jackson, who wasn’t looking at him, before saying, “I was… angry. Not because you got hurt. That's long gone. I was angry Jackson hadn’t told us sooner. I know we had a really rough start, but,” he looked at Jackson out of the corner of his eye again, “I wouldn’t have held onto it as long as I did if I knew. It’s Jackson, he wouldn’t willingly hurt a fly.”

A small gasp of relief came from the alpha, his head ducking quickly as if to hide something. BamBam’s shoulders dropped and he immediately went to his packmate, “Oh babe, did you really think I’d hate you for an accident?”

Jackson looked up at the omega with watery eyes, “I wanted to take care of him, but I couldn’t. I hurt him more. What does that say about me as an alpha?”

“That you’re fucking amazing because you knew what happened and you sought to make it right. Don’t think I didn’t notice all those presents Channie got.” The omega paused, “It also explains you being so mother hen over him for so long. I mean, you mother hen normally, but you really kicked it up. You still do.”

Jackson let out a choked laugh, wrapping his arms around BamBam’s waist and pulling him close, resting his chin on the center of the younger’s chest, “We’re okay then?”

“Absolutely, you big teddy bear,” and kissed the alpha’s forehead.

Jackson looked up at the BamBam with a loving expression, one BamBam returned. BamBam was always ready to be affectionate, or play and joke around, but was private when it came to showing this kind of intimacy, so it was admittedly rare for how open he seemed to the public. Chan cleared his throat and the two looked over at him, a light blush coming to Jackson’s cheeks while BamBam chuckled, “Thanks, Channie, Jinnie, we’ll see you guys later.”

“Just text your pack before you get too lost in each other. Otherwise they’ll bother me,” Chan said as they moved to the door.

BamBam made a noise of agreement but was already leaning down to kiss Jackson instead of reaching for his phone. Chan just rolled his eyes and hooked his arm with Hyunjin’s as they left, “Home? I don’t know if I can sleep right now though.”

“Definitely home, but I don’t think I can either. Food?” He immediately suggested. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

“Wait, it was Jackson?!” Jisung exclaimed, eyebrows raising high as Chan explained what happened to the rest of the pack.

“Yes… who did you think it was?” Chan asked with a tilt of his head.

“Honestly? Shownu. He’s always been handsy with you, even pats your butt and stuff,” Jisung pointed out around a mouthful of food.

Chan paused and scrunched his nose, his own food halfway to his mouth, “He would have already have to have been in full promotions at that point. Can you imagine trying to dance if the bruise dick I mentioned?”

A choking sound was heard as Felix laughed around his food and Seungmin paused, having to stop chewing to keep from doing the same. “True, I hadn’t thought of that,” Jisung said with a shrug.

Changbin rolled his eyes at the younger rapper, then looked to Hyunjin, “How did you figure it out, Jinnie?”

Hyunjin blushed a bit, “I was the first one back to the dorm when Chan came back and he was laid up for a while due to,” he raised his fingers to make quotation marks, “an ‘injury’. I was back soon enough to see Jackson limping out of the building with Jaebeom and then was gone for a month. I just put the pieces together.”

The pack had determined a while ago that the supposed injury had really been him recovering from taking his first knot. Chan hadn’t realized that Hyunjin had caught Jackson leaving like that. 

“Well, I’m glad that they’ve worked it out. But can we please stop talking about bruised dicks?” Jeongin asked, his voice strained as he looked a little green.

Hyunjin moved in and kissed his hair as the rest of the pack laughed and finished up their dinner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soft things and wrapping up GOT7 stuff. I'm still not keen on getting too deep into the GOT7 story line, so this gives you a bit more info and I'll leave it at that ;)
> 
> Still a few chapters planned though! I'm thinking between 30-35 chapters if what I have outlined works. Thank you all! I hope you enjoyed!


	24. If I Wear the Ropes, I'm the Prize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated Tags Yo! We gettin' kinky!

Chan took a deep breath as Hyunjin finally pulled back from their kiss, the other beta moving to his neck while Chan caught himself on the headboard behind them to keep himself upright, gasping for air. Hyunjin only pulled back from his neck once Chan moaned, knowing that he was leaving marks behind but simply licking over them reverently. The dancer grinned as he pressed the fingers inside of Chan in a bit deeper, making the drift beta drop his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder and let out a high whine. While Chan was naked in the dancer’s lap, Hyunjin still had his sweatpants on. It didn’t much matter though, since they were just preparing for the bigger event. Chan’s hips stuttered as he thrust down onto the skilled fingers, seeking more but Hyunjin pulled then out to tip instead. He’d had gotten much better with them since they’d last done anything, and he was happily teasing Chan to the edge and back. 

The taller beta brought his free hand up to cup Chan’s face and raise it so they were looking at each other, “You sure you’re up for this?”

‘This’ was the fact that there was a length of rope and a cock ring just to the left of them, both of which were to be used on Chan. It was also the fact that Changbin and Seungmin were going to bring Jisung back from the studio soon, and Hyunjin and Changbin would get to see just how good the alpha would be for them to get Chan for his prize. All while Seungmin teased Chan in the process. It had surprised Chan a bit when the three had approached him about the scenario, something that dove into the less vanilla side of sex that they hadn’t really touched on yet, at least not with Chan. He had agreed because they had to start somewhere, and Hyunjin had spent the better part of thirty minutes excitedly explaining what they had researched and planned for. It eventually came down to if they wanted to dive right in, Chan’d go with them. So far, he was not disappointed.

The drift beta nodded in response, “I’m sure.”

Hyunjin smiled and slowly pulled his fingers out of Chan, making him whimper. He picked up the cock ring, twirling it on his fingers for Chan to see, before quickly sliding it into place and giving Chan’s length a long stroke. The drift beta cried out and thrust into Hyunjin’s hand, feeling the piece tight around base. “Fuck…” he murmured, the profanity repeating as he let it settle in that he wasn’t coming any time soon. 

The other beta just smiled, “Turn around, let me get you tied up.”

A shudder went through Chan, but he did as he was told, moving until his back was to Hyunjin while the other shifted back onto his own knees and grabbed the rope. The dancer gave him a short nip on his shoulder before his hand moved to one of Chan’s wrists. He let him pull it back and begin to wrap it in the silk rope. Hyunjin had been practicing, which made sense with some of the kinks he had listed back when they’d first started talking about intimacy, and how he still wanted to find a time when he could have Chan wear a plug around the house, not the mention the collars he talked about here and there. 

The rope tightened a bit and Hyunjin asked, “Too tight?”

Chan moved his hand around and checked his circulation, “A little.”

Hyunjin adjusted it and he tried again, nodding this time, “That’s better.”

Soon both of Chan’s hands were tied behind him, forearms stacked over one another in what Hyunjin had showed him was a fairly simple tie but was enough to immobilize his arms. It wasn’t any official form of something like shibari, Hyunjin wasn’t sure he’d ever be comfortable going all out like that. But a few tricks here and there? That he was happy to figure out and use liberally.

Hyunjin tugged them lightly, fitting his fingers underneath the ropes to test the tightness, “Still good?”

Chan tried to move them and nodded when he could do very little, but still felt like they weren’t being strained, “Good.”

The other beta kissed the back of his neck, then slid a hand around his waist and circled his cock again. Chan cursed more, bucking into his fist. 

“Mmm, they’ll be back soon. Sungie’s been looking forward to this since you said yes,” Hyunjin said as he teased the drift beta, leaning close to his ear.

Chan snorted and replied breathlessly, “You just like that you’ll get to see Seungmin teasing me relentlessly.”

Hyunjin laughed and pressed the fingers of his other hand back into the older, making him cry out and toss his head back, testing his balance as he tipped back but managed to keep himself upright. Hyunjin let out a low purr and Chan cracked an eye open to see the other beta admiring the way his muscles flex across his torso. Chan grinned slightly and flexed them again, making Hyunjin’s eyes darken further. The dancer glanced at him from the corner of his eye and growled this time, leaning in to bite at his neck and shoulder, no fangs out, but it still sent little shivers of pain and pleasure through Chan. 

They both paused as they heard the door to the dorm open and Hyunjin shifting partially out from behind Chan towards the cracked bedroom door, listening to make sure it was their packmates and no one else. Jisung’s loud laugh echoed through to the room, Changbin’s loud whining at a joke the other had made following and overlapping. They relaxed immediately and Hyunjin took the opportunity to take another bite of Chan’s neck, making the older give a loud moan. 

The voices outside quieted and a moment later three of their packmates opened the door and stepped in. Jisung’s eyes went comically wide, and Chan was able to watch as his pupils went wide and his fangs peeked out from his upper lip as he whispered, “Holy fucking hell…”

Chan was going to comment something, but it quickly flew out of his brain as Hyunjin’s hands began moving again. His eyes fluttered, but he caught sight of Seungmin whispering in Jisung’s ear, the alpha nodding eagerly, before the younger moved to the bed. The vocalist pulled his shirt over his head and kicked off his shoes, crawling up onto the bed and to Chan. Chan let out a quizzical sound that turned into a whimper of disappointment as Hyunjin pulled away. The dancer chuckled and kissed him one more time, “Jisungie promised me his mouth, remember?”

The drift beta gave a short laugh before Seungmin was kissing him and pushing him back into the mountain of pillows Hyunjin kept built in the corner. It laid Chan out for Seungmin completely, his tied arms pushing his chest forward invitingly, but allowed him a full view of the bed and the fact that Changbin and Jisung were both watching them closely. Changbin half behind the alpha with his arms around his waist, hands up underneath his shirt already, and nipping slightly at his shoulder.

Chan looked them over and noted how there was a pretty clear definition of arousal in Changbin’s pants, and a few marks peeking out of from his shirt. He’d have to find out about that later. Hyunjin reached his hands out to Jisung as he queried, “Do you like the prize I prepared for you, Sungie?”

Jisung swallowed and nodded, “Yes, yes I do,” he practically purred.

“Mm. Now, you just have to be good for Binnie and I, and you can have him,” he explained.

Jisung licked his lips but shuddered as Changbin bit at his ear. He shook himself out a bit, before asking, “Will I get to do whatever I want?”

“That depends on just how good you are,” Hyunjin answered.

The alpha considered this for a moment, eyes darting between Hyunjin then Chan and Seungmin as the younger trailed a hand down Chan’s stomach to let his fingertips play over the tip of Chan’s cock, making him whimper. He focused back on Hyunjin, a determined look in his eyes, “I want him to come, then I get to fuck and knot him right afterwards.”

Chan’s mind darted back to the alpha’s request back when they’d first been intimate in Japan. It made him shiver with want again, letting another moan out. He heard Hyunjin hum again, “I think that can be arranged, and he certainly sounds in for it. But…”

Jisung gave a little, pouting whine at the ‘but’, making Changbin huff into his shoulder. Hyunjin got up to his knees and kissed the younger, “You have to do quite a bit for that. How about you take both of us? Give me your mouth and put that quick tongue of yours to work, while Changbin fucks you from behind?”

Seungmin looked over his shoulder at the other three and Chan’s eyes hooded at the mental image. They all knew that Minho and Jisung had been intimate with one another in that way recently, Jisung had made it clear he wanted it. So, Chan wasn’t worried that Jisung was unprepared. It sent a thrill through him that he would finally get to see it though. Jisung looked undaunted, nodding readily, “Yes, yes, fuck yes!”

A chuckle ran through them at the enthusiasm, but Hyunjin held up a finger, “You can’t come though. You have to be able to hold out to fuck Chan. He’s got a cock ring to keep him under control until you’re ready for him, but can you hold out?”

That made the alpha pause, considering. The dancer leaned in playfully, “Do you want a cock ring too?”

It was a challenge, meant to bring out the competitiveness in the alpha. It worked, and Jisung glowered at Hyunjin, “Fuck you, I can do it.”

“Perfect,” and the beta leaned in to kiss Jisung.

Jisung joined in enthusiastically, hands landing on Hyunjin’s hips and over the top of the sweatpants he was wearing. Changbin stepped back and began to pull off his own clothes while Hyunjin distracted the alpha. Chan’s attention was pulled back to Seungmin as younger’s hand left his cock and moved to press a finger into him. The drift beta took in a quick breath and the other beta grinned, “You know I’m not going to make this easy.”

“Considering your history, I’m well aware…” Chan replied breathlessly.

Seungmin grinned cheekily before ducking down and running his tongue over one of his nipples. Chan squirmed, and for the first time, silently cursing the ropes Hyunjin had put around his arms, but it made him look back up at Hyunjin, Jisung, and Changbin. 

Changbin was now mostly undressed, with just his pink boxers on, and was being kissed within an inch of his life by Jisung who was half twisted back to get to his fellow rapper. The alpha was kneeling on the bed naked now, Chan didn’t think he’d looked away that long, but apparently it was long enough. Hyunjin was still in his sweatpants, kissing across Jisung’s collarbones as he lazily stroked the alpha’s cock, gripping his knot every now and again. Changbin pulled away from the kiss, making Jisung whine unhappily, but Changbin just pinched his side as he said, “You’re ignoring Jinnie.”

That pulled a distressed sound from the alpha and he whipped around to the other beta and practically tackled him into a kiss. Hyunjin’s muffled laugh was heard as he wrapped his arms around Jisung’s shoulders, easily returning the kiss. It gave Changbin an excuse to step away and go through one of the drawers, pulling out lube and condoms and setting them within in arms reached. 

Seungmin released Chan’s now very sensitive nipple and moved up to whisper into his ear, “You won’t need lube, will you?” And punctuated the remark by adding another finger into Chan, “You get so wet, I love it.”

Chan could feel how wet he was and how Seungmin was using it to press his fingers in as deep as he could. He loved it and how the rest of his pack seemed so focused on it, even if a part of him was still a bit embarrassed by it. Despite that, it made him smile a little each time one of them mentioned how much they liked it, and made the embarrassment a little less. 

A noise from the other three made Chan look over to them again to find Jisung making his way down Hyunjin’s body. His cock was pulled out of his sweatpants and underwear and in Jisung’s hand as he nipped at the dancer’s neck. Hyunjin had his eyes closed, lain out for Jisung. Changbin was leaning over Jisung, peppering kisses across his spine, one hand obviously playing with one of Jisung’s nipples and his other was down at Jisung’s ass. By the look of it, Changbin had just pressed a finger into the alpha.

Chan’s breath left him because it was hot as hell to see Jisung bent over for Changbin, giving so much attention to Hyunjin, but taking what Changbin was giving him. “It’s fucking amazing isn’t it?” Seungmin started, “Minho described it, but seeing it is something else. I remember you taking me and Felix. I can understand why Hyunjin wanted it so badly once I told him about it.”

Chan glanced at the younger, Seungmin was looking back at the three over his shoulder, though he was still whispering in Chan’s ear. His gaze returned to Chan and he smirked, “How deep do you think Changbin’s fingers are in Jisung right now?”

The drift beta didn’t get a chance to answer as Seungmin bit his lower lip and pressed his fingers in deep, then bent them enough to press over that spot inside of Chan that sent pleasure burning up his spine. His cock jumped against his stomach, precum leaking from the tip and dotting his skin. He knew he made a sound, he wasn’t quite sure what it was, but he opened his eyes to three sets of eyes on him. 

Changbin was watching him with a hungry look as he gripped Jisung’s hair, making the younger look up at Chan and Seungmin. Jisung was watching them raptly, mouth hanging open as he mouthed what looked like curses in both Korean and English. Hyunjin was licking his lips as he watched him, grinning as he noticed Chan focus on them.

He then leaned up to Jisung and Chan could barely make out what he was saying, “See? Seungmin’s got him all ready for you. Just have to take off the cock ring and he’ll come, just like you wanted. You should really get that mouth to work though.”

Jisung growled low and shook off Changbin’s hand. He kissed Hyunjin once, biting at his lower lip and making the dancer moan, before moving back to the dancer’s chest. Chan watched as Jisung made his way down Hyunjin’s body, pushing back onto Changbin’s hand as he did so. The drift beta looked to Changbin when a whimper was pulled from Jisung to find him grinning lopsidedly as he focused on the hand that now had three fingers stretching Jisung open. Chan took a moment to examine the other beta finally and took in the plethora of hickeys and bruises across his neck and chest. Chan glanced at Seungmin, about to ask, but the younger beta shrugged, “We had a bit of fun with him at the studio beforehand. It was an interesting trip home.”

Scolding them crossed his mind, but then those fingers moved again, running over that spot mercilessly several times and the thought was instantly gone. Chan bucked his hips as best he could onto the fingers inside of him, the desire to come building just a bit more with each movement. He knew Hyunjin was right though, when that cock ring came off, he was probably going to come instantly. It hadn’t been urgent before, but as Seungmin fingered him and occasionally palmed his balls for extra effect, it was getting harder to ignore and focus on the three in front of them.

Chan forced his attention back to the three across from them, because it made him hold onto control a bit longer. It was too soon in the game to start begging to come, and he didn’t want to ruin the prize for Jisung. As he managed to focus back on them, he realized they were all now naked and Jisung was hovering over Hyunjin’s cock, licking at the tip and making the dancer moan and squirm. “Stay still for him, Jinnie,” Changbin scolded the younger beta, “or I’m just going to fuck him without you.”

That made Hyunjin pout at Changbin, but the rapper just raised an eyebrow back at him expectantly. The simple show of control as Hyunjin settled back and stilled made Chan arch in Seungmin’s hold. A brief bite to his shoulder made him stop though, biting his lower lip as Seungmin giggled in his ear. 

Jisung let out a low moan that turned into a purr as he pushed back onto Changbin’s hand and briefly leaned up, “Binnie? Please, in me?”

Changbin hummed and leaned forward, “Will you last if I do?”

Jisung’s eyes narrowed at him, “I’d rather fight to not come on your cock than on your fingers.”

Hyunjin laughed at the breathless quip, while Changbin grinned and pulled out his fingers and laid a sharp smack on Jisung’s raised ass before stepping away. Jisung tossed a pout at him, but turned his attention back on Hyunjin and took his length into his mouth, making Hyunjin moan again. Watching Jisung take Hyunjin down to the base was an almost visceral experience, the angle they were at making it easy to see as Jisung swallowed it down. Chan breathed out a few curses under his breath, but they ended in a whimper as Changbin came back, boxers gone, cock lubed up with a condom in in place. 

Changbin pressed the tip to Jisung’s entrance and the alpha immediately pulled off of Hyunjin’s length. The dancer sat up, running a comforting hand through Jisung’s hair as he nuzzled at Hyunjin’s thigh and Changbin slowly began to enter him. It made Chan roll his hips, riding Seungmin’s fingers again and feel the coil of orgasm pull a bit tighter. He looked at the younger beta, meeting his pleasure darkened eyes, “I-I can’t…”

Seungmin hushed him, pulling his fingers out of him and allowing Chan to breathe for a moment, “Yes, you can, deep breaths.”

Chan had to remind himself how to do that as Seungmin’s hand, covered in his own slick, wrapped around his cock and gave it a slow stroke. It felt almost raw with how hard and red it was and was only slightly easier to manage through, but it was enough as he looked back up at the others. Changbin was now buried inside of a gasping Jisung and Hyunjin was laying back again, waiting. It took a moment, Jisung’s eyes locking with Chan’s and a silent communication of determination went through them. Jisung wanted his prize and Chan wanted to give it to him. The alpha licked his lips as Chan reined himself in, watching as the alpha shifted himself and took Hyunjin back into his mouth. 

Watching the three move and find their rhythm was mesmerizing. He was completely transfixed as Changbin pushed Jisung more onto Hyunjin’s cock, making Jisung swallow a little bit more and burying his face into the other’s groin. But the alpha just moaned through it. Soon the sound of skin slapping together began to fill the room, along with the sounds of Jisung sucking off Hyunjin. He was so lost in the sight that he didn’t notice Seungmin had moved until he bit down hard on one of his nipples, making him cry out, tossing his head back and arching into the sudden, jarring but welcome stimulation. 

He wasn’t sure how long Seungmin kept him like that, sucking hard on the abused nipple and tightening his fist around Chan’s cock, but the younger beta only let up once Chan was bucking into his hand and squirming desperately from the mix of sensations as he tried to come but couldn’t. Seungmin let the nipple go, running his tongue over it as Chan realized that Seungmin had just renewed his Mark of Intent and that was part of why the reaction had been so immediate and all-encompassing. 

It took a few moments, but he finally managed, “D-did you...jus…” but quickly abandoned the attempt of more.

Instead, Seungmin sat up and smiled, “Mm-hm.”

Chan’s eyes fluttered high as the confirmation sent another twist of pleasure through him. He knew if not for the cock ring he’d have come several times now, “Please, please, Minnie—I just n-ne—”

Seungmin hushed him and directed him back to the other three as he said, “Remember, you’re his prize.”

Chan whimpered in acknowledgement as he took in the sight of Hyunjin watching him, hips bucking into Jisung’s mouth, one hand gripping the bed and the other gripping the alpha’s hair tightly as he worked towards his own climax. Changbin was watching him as well, thrusting hard into Jisung, hands digging into his hips deep, probably leaving bruises behind. A few moments later and Hyunjin was coming with a yell, Jisung visibly swallowing before slowly pulling off of Hyunjin’s cock. Changbin never let up, still thrusting deep into the alpha. 

Hyunjin stayed lain out, watching the two. Jisung’s hands twisted in the sheets as he very clearly fought to keep control over his body. Changbin wasn’t quite having it though, as he wrapped his arms around Jisung’s chest and hefted him up so Jisung’s back was pressed to his chest and turned him to look at Chan and Seungmin. Changbin was whispering in Jisung’s ear as the alpha cried out and locked eyes with Chan. Jisung held onto Changbin’s arms as he was fucked, whimpering and whining now that his mouth wasn’t full. 

Seungmin took the cue and his hand slipped back down between Chan’s legs, pushing them open more and fitting his fingers back inside of Chan. The drift beta dropped his head back with a moan, body trembling at the stimuli and the words were slipping out of him before he could think to stop them, “Mi-Minnie, please, fuck… Let me come, let me come please!”

He begged the younger, even called to the others in hopes for something, “Hyun—ahh! Sungie? Binnie please!”

He wasn’t sure if his begging worked or if it was something else, but a moment later the cock ring was gone and Chan was yelling as his arched up and came hard, Seungmin relentlessly pressing his fingers over that spot inside of him at the same time. He floated high as he shuddered through his orgasm, body dropping down to lay spent as he tried to catch his breath. Seungmin laid kisses across his face and collarbones as his fingers slid out of him. “Channie? There you are gorgeous,” came Hyunjin’s soft voice.

Chan hummed, opening his eyes slowly and looking at the other beta. Hyunjin smiled, “Can Sungie have his prize? He’s been so good for us.”

The drift beta tried to process that. Prize, he was a prize for Jisung, “D-did Binnie…?”

“He did, same time you went. Jisung did so good, hasn’t come yet, even though he really wanted to,” Hyunjin explained, kissing his brow and cheeks.

Chan swallowed and nodded, moving to spread his legs a bit more and look up to find Jisung. The alpha was on his knees in front of Chan, an absolutely desperate look on his face, his cock red and hard through the condom he wore, knot clearly ready to pop, hands almost tearing at the sheets to keep from diving at Chan. The second the other two betas were out of the way he dove for Chan, covering him with his body and kissing him like his life depended on it. 

The sudden stimulation was overwhelming to his already over-sensitive body, but it still felt good. Chan kissed back as best he could with how floaty he still felt and whimpered as he felt Jisung’s cock at his entrance. Jisung sheathed himself into Chan in one movement before the drift beta could really process it, pulling a strangled cry from him.

There was a pause, just enough to make sure Chan was all right, before Jisung was grabbing hold of Chan’s hips and thrusting fast. It felt like nothing he’d experienced before. It was so good, painful, overwhelming and absolutely pleasurable as Jisung took his already trembling body and pull every last bit out of Chan that he could. 

It was quick, even if it felt like an eternity, before Jisung let out a sharp cry and buried his knot deep in Chan. The sudden stretch and press of his knot on Chan’s prostate sent another orgasm through the drift beta with a final yell. They were both completely lost in their orgasms, Chan floating back high as he could do little more than ride out the second climax in such a short amount of time. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but all too soon, familiar voices were murmuring at them and he tried to focus back in on them.

“Channie…? You back here with us?” 

Hyunjin, that was Hyunjin’s voice. He forced his eyes opened, blurrily looking at the younger. The dancer smiled and stroked a hand through his hair, “Hey, welcome back.”

Chan frowned, “…back?”

Hyunjin just smiled and nodded, “It’s okay, we’ll talk about it later. Let’s get your arms untied.”

He realized then that Jisung wasn’t laying on top of him anymore, he was sitting back. Chan looked up at the alpha. He was definitely tired, but he smiled at Chan brightly. “Sunshine,” Chan murmured at him and the smile just widened.

Seungmin was behind Jisung, arms wrapped around him and gently petting over his chest and stomach. Changbin was on Chan’s other side and the two carefully helped Chan sit up just enough for Hyunjin to undo the ties. He laid back down and moaned as the circulation came back to his hands fully. The two rubbed over his hands and forearms, making sure nothing had gone wrong with the ropes. Hyunjin pulled out a lotion of some sort and they both began massaging it over Chan’s arms. 

Chan frowned after a moment, his mind coming back to him slowly, “Minnie? Did you—”

Changbin cut him off with a soft laugh, “I took care of him while Jisung hand his way with you.”

Chan relaxed back, looking up at the singer. Seungmin smiled gratefully back at him. Hyunjin and Changbin let his arms lay to his sides and Hyunjin began to slowly clean them up as best he could with Jisung still locked inside of him. Changbin reappeared beside him a few moments later with water and some food on a small tray. They all began to eat a little and drink some water as Chan fully came back to himself, Changbin occasionally feeding each to Chan. He began to feel the way his arms and shoulders were now sore, and his hips were probably bruised. So was his nipple, because of Seungmin’s mark. 

“Really, Seungmin? My nipple?” he said, voice rough, but definitely not floating like he had been not too long ago. 

Laughter and snort went through them, but Seungmin tipped his eyebrows upward, “It looks good.”

Chan laughed softly, but it eased the quiet around them. Hyunjin had a hand running through Chan’s hair as he next said softly, “I think you went into subspace, Channie. You were distant for a while there.”

The drift beta paused, considering it, “That would explain a lot really.”

“I think I did too,” Jisung said, Hyunjin nodding, “but not as deep as you did.”

“Did you like it?” Changbin asked.

“Yeah, I did, but I can’t do it often. I feel very… pliable right now. I have a feeling I’ll be like this for a while too,” Chan admitted.

Jisung nodded in agreement, one hand gently stroking over Chan’s thigh.

The others nodded, “We’ll keep an eye on you and let the others know too. We have the evening and the night, should one of us stick near you two tomorrow?” Hyunjin asked.

Chan considered for a moment, looking at Jisung who seemed nervous, chewing on his lower lip. The drift beta nodded, “Yes, if anything it will just make me feel better.”

“Reason enough,” Seungmin said sleepily, “can we take a nap now?”

Chan groaned, “Yes, please.”

Changbin leaned forward and kissed him, Hyunjin doing the same with Jisung, before they shifted around to settle in for a said nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo, another chapter full of smut. Slowly getting better at focusing on the smut part of this story. *high fives self* Hopefully this was as good as the last few - it was a bit hard to do with all the drama in between, but hopefully I managed it :D
> 
> Enjoy y'all! I have so much more planned *cackles*


	25. Secrets are Meant to be Revealed Eventaully

Chan leaned against Jeongin as they walked down the beach, Seungmin an arm’s length away from them on Jeongin’s other side, splashing through the water idly as it came up lap at his ankles just under his rolled-up jeans. “I’m glad we were able to come out here before the next promotions started,” Jeongin said with a hum.

“Yeah, I still can’t believe Mina convinced the company to keep it though,” Seungmin replied, glancing over the glittering waves as the sun rose higher in the sky.

Said beach was a private stretch of beach owned by the company with a relatively small house a stairwell climb away. It was mostly for idols to go when resting and to get them away from the paparazzi or sasaengs if needed. Sometimes, it was just a vacation spot for visitors that had no idea it was used by idols as well. It was a recent thing though; Mina had been one of the first to use it while she was recovering on her own mental break during Feel Special promotions. Once she’d returned to activities, she’d asked that it not be converted into a rentable space only, but to keep it open for other idols of the company to take a break.

It had taken some convincing, but she’d eventually managed it. The pack had decided to take advantage of it the previous evening and that morning to enjoy the beach. They couldn’t stay longer than that because they all had meetings and practice in the afternoon, but it was only about an hour’s drive outside the city and they could be back after lunch. 

One would think they’d have been in for a night of debauchery if their experimenting over the last few weeks was anything to go by, but they’d all been relatively lowkey. At least what was considered lowkey for them. Jisung only hung from the banister twice and Seungmin only insulted Minho’s sense of humor three times. A lot of cuddling, but nothing sexual. So, calm for them.

Jeongin and Chan had been the first two up the next morning, Seungmin sleepily tagging along when he’d woken up to their noise and they’d told him they were going for a walk on the beach. 

“Mina’s convincing, especially when she wants something,” Chan explained. 

A hum of agreement came from the younger, and Chan glanced at the two. Seungmin looked calm enough, kicking at the water and humming from time to time. Jeongin seemed nervous though and had since he suggested they go walking on the beach. In an attempt to figure out what was going on, the drift beta nudged him a little and gave him a concerned look as he met his eyes. Jeongin plastered on a smile that Chan knew wasn’t real and made him pout cutely at the alpha for it. 

Jeongin pouted back, puffing his cheeks out in a display of cute that made Chan smile. He then reached up and pressed the puffed cheeks in quickly, laughing as Jeongin flailed back with the air rushing out of his pressed lips. The sound it made pulled Seungmin’s attention and made the other beta laugh as well. Jeongin glowered at him, something glinting in his eye as he said, “Seungmin, help me throw him in the sea!”

Seungmin paused, then shrugged, “Ok!”

“Hey wait—!” He was cut off by his own laughter as Jeongin grabbed one arm and Seungmin took the other.

They dragged him into the waves, but he mostly let them more than they actually overpowered any resistance he offered. He could probably grab both of them and drag them in with him, but he liked the wide smile and laughter that rang out over the waves too much. Once Chan was sufficiently soaked from the shoulders down, his hair half wet, Seungmin and Jeongin high-fived each other and congratulated themselves as the best maknaes.

“Oh, you two are in for it now,” Chan said with a grin. 

The two paused, then began to run for shore as the oldest threw two cupped hands worth of salty water at them before catching up easily to Seungmin first. He grabbed the other beta around the waist, easily picking him up and tossing him back into the water. Jeongin didn’t get much farther, Chan snatching him up and carrying the flailing alpha to the water where Seungmin sat, defeated but still laughing with waves coming up around his chest. He tossed the youngest in with Seungmin, laughing as Jeongin came up to yell, “Not fair!”

“Oh, now who’s whining?” Chan teased, making the younger two stick their tongues out at him. 

When Chan was sufficiently pleased with how wet and sandy they all were, he reached out to help them up. “Come on, we’re going to need to shower before we leave,” he said, still smiling broadly.

Once both were standing, Jeongin shook his head, pulling Chan into a hug and burying his face in the older’s neck and hair, “No, your scent is so strong like this…”

Chan stumbled slightly at the sudden shift of weight but caught the younger and held him close. He glanced at Seungmin, but the other singer just offered a smile and moved up beside him to scent at his hair, “Hmm, he’s right.”

The other beta ruffled Jeongin’s hair and gave Chan a kiss before heading towards the house. Chan slowly pulled back from the youngest, “What’s going on, Innie?”

Jeongin grimaced, clearly unhappy about being put on the spot, “I just… I want to ask you something but I’m nervous it will be too much.”

Chan frowned in worry and passed a hand through the other’s hair, “If it’s too much, I’ll tell you and we’ll work through it. Ther—”

He was cut off as he heard yelling, “Seungmin! Chan! Jeongin!”

They both looked up to see Hyunjin running towards them, “Got a problem!”

Chan glanced between them, then kissed Jeongin quickly, “We’ll have to talk about it later. I promise.”

Jeongin looked a bit dejected, but he nodded, “All right.”

Chan pulled away a bit but kept his arm around the alpha. Seungmin jogged along with Hyunjin as he reached them and slowed down. “What’s going on Jinnie?” The drift beta asked.

Hyunjin caught his breath before saying, “Changbin and Minho went to the convenience store to grab a few things. Someone caught them kissing. They couldn’t catch them, but they were pretty sure it was a sasaeng.”

“Fuck,” Chan murmured, his free hand scrubbing over his face. “Is someone calling Juwon?”

Hyunjin nodded, “Changbin’s talking to them. I don’t know where that all is though.”

Chan sighed tiredly, “Get everyone gathered up. We’ll shower and join you all in the living room to figure out what we need to do.”

~~~/~~~/~~~

“Are you sure it was a sasaeng?” Felix asked, fidgeting nervously.

Minho nodded, “I recognized her. She hangs around outside the dorms a lot. She was alone though.”

They’d just wanted a few moments to chat and hold hands. Minho had wanted to buy the beta a treat, he didn’t get to do that with Changbin often. It was usually Changbin treating them. For the short time it had lasted, it had been a wonderful. They gotten to hold hands, Changbin looking over the available food and picking things out as they moved through the aisles. Minho had bought him all the bright pastries he’d liked and his favorite drinks. It put a smile on the beta’s face that Minho was working on making sure stayed there more often. 

The kiss must have been too much for the universe though. Changbin had leaned up for it after they’d left the store and then there was the sound of a camera phone going off and cursing. They’d both been fast to try and catch her, if only to snag her phone and delete whatever image she’d caught, but they both knew they couldn’t do much without risking a scene. In the end she’d ducked down a crowded sidewalk and they’d given up the chase. 

Instead, they’d come back to the house and Changbin had called management. The initial call had ended in a scolding that left Changbin snarling angrily back at whoever he’d talked to, before hanging up and curling up into a ball next to Minho, hiding in his hoodie and knees drawn up to his chest as he worked to keep from lashing out at anyone. There were still hints of burnt chestnuts still in the air, but his scent had mostly settled back to something more normal. Chan had called next, ripping into management for scolding Changbin and redirecting their narrative to get damage control moving faster. 

They all knew how to handle management in most situations, but there were times when the tenure that Chan had with them changed the approach on both sides in a way that few others could. This was one of those times. Minho tentatively wrapped an arm around Changbin as Chan’s low, no-nonsense words carried through the house from the balcony. He’d left after he noticed Jisung’s nose had scrunched up, the rotted cedarwood and orange overpowering the smell of the sea as the call had gotten more heated. Changbin didn’t draw away, and it was enough of a signal for Minho to look up to the rest of the pack and give them a nod that Changbin wasn’t going to lash out. 

Felix and Jeongin were the first to him, Felix curling up to Changbin’s other side and Jeongin getting him to let his legs fall down and settle between them on the floor. Hyunjin came up on Minho’s other side, kissing his hair and making the alpha purr softly at the comfort. 

Jisung and Seungmin were waiting patiently for Chan to get off the phone, knowing that Chan would be looking for pack cuddles to calm him down as well. He didn’t appreciate when his pack was made to feel like they were the problem. When the phone call ended, he came back inside but stood apart from them a moment, until Jisung called, “Channie…”

Their leader looked up, as if coming out of thought, and sighed, moving over to them as Seungmin held his arms outstretched to him. Chan fell into the two while he grumbled, “Fucking management.”

Jisung kissed his hair, humming in agreement. It was Changbin that spoke up though, “What are we going to do?”

“Well, either she’ll post it online soon and we’ll be outed,” Chan said, half hidden in Seungmin’s shoulder, “or, we plan to out ourselves while she decides if she wants to post it or sell the images.”

“Who would she sell them to?” Felix asked, his naivete showing. 

“Fucking Dispatch,” Changbin snarled. 

Jisung growled low and Chan squeezed his hand, before continuing, “Yeah, but fortunately we have a good relationship with them. We can ask them to hold any purchased images and related story and give them an exclusive in return for time.”

“Time to do what?” Minho asked.

“Make our own announcement.”

“How?”

“Maybe via vlive?” Jisung offered up.

There was a pause as they all considered it. “We could,” Chan continued, “we’d have to time it just right with Dispatch though. Otherwise it could sour relations. I don’t want to fuck it up for the entire company.”

“Could they negotiate that?” Changbin asked, starting to lean back into Felix a little and lacing his fingers with Jeongin’s as the youngest rested his head against the beta’s thigh.

“Possibly, we’d have to see,” Chan said contemplatively. “Is that how we want to try to do it? Give Dispatch the exclusive in return for time and doing a first announcement on vlive?”

“I think it’s the best-case scenario at this point,” Minho replied.

A round of agreement went through them and Chan sighed, “Okay, I’ll call management in a moment.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Changbin looked up from the notepad he was writing on, just little notes that came to him as Jisung and Chan bounced off one another. They’d chosen a fairly secluded practice room in the JYP building to do the vlive in, though they still weren’t sure exactly how they were going to bring it up. Management had a whole plan but they’d all pretty much just rolled their eyes at it. It was already chaotic 3racha vlive, with them doing little lyric challenges based off topics that Stays gave and that management approved. The entire pack wasn’t there because management had thought it would be overwhelming for all of them to be there at once.

More like they weren’t sure they could keep them from going too in depth if they were all here. The pack had their own plan, in a way. Chan had basically told the five that weren’t on the vlive to come up with something and surprise them. It would make it more genuine than them just sitting there reading off a script. 

They did have to discuss it at the end of the stream though, since then Dispatch would do a formal release at that time. Whoever the sasaeng was that had gotten pictures of them hadn’t released them or tried to sell them off. Why, they weren’t sure, but they were at least able to keep relations with Dispatch even keel by giving them the first article. 

Changbin internally sighed, nervous as hell about how people would react. Jisung was a fidgety mess with Chan just trying to keep the alpha from vibrating out of his skin. As the minutes ticked by and the staff behind the camera began to become impatient, the door to the room opened and broke the strange, nervous energy of the room. The three looked over to find Felix had come into the room and was watching them with a contemplative look on his face. 

Catching Chan’s eyes, Felix lifted his head a bit and squared his shoulders before moving to leaning just in front of the camera frame and wave, “Hi Stay~!”

Changbin could see the confusion on the staff’s faces, but they could do little now that Felix had revealed himself. Chan laughed, “It seems Felix wants to join the live!”

“Nah, I just wanted to say ‘hello’ for a moment,” Felix disagreed, before shuffling his way to the couch, standing next to Changbin. 

The beta frowned up at Felix in confusion as he didn’t sit down but stood just next to him. Felix smiled down at him as Changbin asked, “Lix?”

Felix’s smile widened and he leaned down, giving Changbin a quick kiss on the forehead before half running away with a loud, embarrassed laughed and dodging out of the room before the staff could do much else. It left the three of them frozen and dumbfounded, with management sighing behind the camera.

Finally, Jisung jumped up, “Felix get back here! Why does only Binnie get kisses?” And proceeded to pout.

The sudden yelling shook both Chan and Changbin out of their stupor and Changbin covered his face, which he was sure was bright red, and grumbled his embarrassment as Chan bit his lip against more laughter. “Well, I guess that’s one way to bring it up,” Chan said, proceeding to not look at the explosion of vlive comments and instead saying, as he hooked a hand in Jisung’s belt and pulled him down to sit on the couch again. “Yes! We are a courting pack now! And we wanted to be the first to tell you all. There will be a more formal article on it in…” Chan checked his phone for the time, “four minutes. We just thought this was a bit more personal.”

Chan went on to reiterate that they still wanted to keep as much of that part of their pack as private as possible, but they felt this development was important enough to tell Stays directly. 

What more could any of them really say? With a smile Chan got up to go around the table and give his customary ending hug but stopped halfway as the door slammed open and Hyunjin peeled in, “That’s so unfair! I want to kiss someone on vlive too!”

“It was a kiss on the forehead!” Felix yelled behind him, catching the edge of the doorframe to stop himself from sliding past, clearly having been chasing after the beta.

“Don’t care! Kisses!” Before Chan could do much Hyunjin caught the drift beta up in a hug and was laying as series of kisses across his cheek and forehead.

“Hyunjin—what—ahh!” The two’s balance shifted and next they were sprawled on the floor, Hyunjin still wrapped around Chan.

Changbin dissolved into laughter as he dodged the fall, ending up pressed to Jisung, who was laughing as well. From the ground Chan held up a hand, “Someone give ending hugs!”

“I will!” Jeongin called as his shuffled into the room, along with Seungmin and Minho. 

Jeongin moved in front of the camera and waved, “Hi, Stay! Thank you for joining us and I hope we did well. We’ll see you all again soon! Have a good night!”

He mimicked the hug that Chan usually gave, then practically tossed himself into Jisung and Changbin’s lap. The two caught him and pulled him close as the staff called that the stream had ended. Juwon sighed, “You all are giving me grey hairs, I swear.”

“We love you Juwon!” Hyunjin called from his spot still cuddling Chan on the floor, making the older man snort as he ushered the staff out. 

“So, it’s finally all official?” Minho said, an arm around Seungmin’s waist.

“It is,” Jisung replied, cuddling Jeongin as the other alpha kissed his hair, giving him the kisses he’d wanted from Felix.

“So, we don’t have to hide it anymore. But we do have to make sure people mind their own business,” Changbin said, rubbing a hand over the maknae’s thigh while twining his fingers with Jisung’s.

“One issue resolved, new one to deal with,” Minho said with a sigh. 

“I like dealing with this one better,” Seungmin said beside him, making the alpha smile over at him. 

There was a languid pause as they all just decompressed a bit. Until Hyunjin posed the question, “I wonder why she didn’t try to sell them…”

“Maybe we got lucky and she wasn’t planning to,” Jeongin said hopefully.

“I like the idea of that,” Jisung said as the alpha leaned into the youngest.

Jeongin smiled and they took it for what it was worth. Maybe she was planning to and just didn’t get the chance to. Maybe she really was going to keep it a secret. They wouldn’t quite know for sure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've had some really bad writer's block. Like really bad - even writing this was a pain. But I like how this turned out and enjoyed writing the interactions. I also like that idea that someone got the picture and then just couldn't bring themselves to actually sell/post the picture. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! I'm going to go back to figuring out why my brain has decided it suddenly hates writing *headdesk*


	26. Of Old Friends and Nervous Requests

“Daaaamn,” came the drawn-out word from Chan’s right, making him look over.

They were in the waiting rooms for MCountdown. Not to perform, but they had an interview a floor up so he, Hyunjin, and Felix had dropped by the waiting rooms for a bit to visit a few friends. Somi was leaning over the back of the couch he’d dropped onto not long ago and was staring raptly at his neck. He knew exactly what she was looking at and blushed as he covered the Mark of Intent that had been left high on his neck. It wasn’t like it was taboo to have a mark like it, it was fairly common for an omega, or betas far on the omega spectrum, to sport marks on their neck and show them off. Somi puffed out her cheeks in an adorable pout and reached up to pull his hand away. “No,” she whined, “let me see it! Who was it? Was it Minho?”

The drift beta laughed, “No, Jisung.”

Somi grinned, “He would do something like that. And who gave Minho his?”

That was the ‘abnormal’ side of their new marks. Alphas didn’t usually sport Marks of Intent so blatantly. It was an unfortunately still prominent traditionalist idea that if an Alpha was allowing their omega or beta to mark them so boldly that they were weak. Minho had already laughed at a reporter that had tried to point that out. It was just above where even a normal crew neck would be able to cover it. Minho had decided to wear a shirt with an even wider neck to make sure it was seen. “Who do you think would do that?” He asked playfully.

Somi contemplated him a moment, “Changbin or Seungmin.”

“Hmm, no,” he offered mildly, waiting for her to figure it out.

Somi frowned, then her eyes widened, “…Hyunjin?”

He nodded, and her eyebrows rose higher as she glanced at the beta currently chatting with Bomin, “Well damn. Didn’t know he had it in him…”

Chan made a scolding sound at her, “You know better than that, Somi.”

She paused, then looked back to him, “Considering you, yeah I should.”

The omega sighed and rounded the couch to drop down next to him and scoot close. He easily let an arm wrap around her comfortingly, “I’m glad you’re happy, Chan. I know it was hard for a while but I’m really happy to see you smiling again.”

He leaned his head over hers, “Thanks, you’ve been doing pretty well yourself too.”

She smiled wistfully, “Yeah, I miss I.O.I though. They were a nice working pack to have.”

“You’ll find your pack soon, don’t worry,” he assured her, giving her arm a light squeeze.

Her expression sobered a bit, and something determined seemed to light in her eye as she straightened up, “I don’t know. As much as I miss I.O.I, I kind of enjoy being a one omega army.”

Chan snorted to keep an overly loud laugh from coming out, “Why am I not surprised.”

She grinned widely at him, pulling away from him as she was called for the stage. She pouted, “I’ll call you later to talk more,” then turned and stared at Hyunjin, who had been pout-glaring at her since he’d spotted them cuddled up to one another. “And you, stop it. You’re acting like a spoiled alpha.”

Hyunjin choked a bit, but she just flipped her hair at him as she stood and walked to the door. Chan looked at the sulking beta and raised an eyebrow. He sunk more into his chair and Chan just said, “Is she wrong?”

“No…” He replied reluctantly, sinking further if that were possible.

“So, should we talk more later?” The drift beta prompted.

Hyunjin sighed softly but nodded. Chan got up, moving over to the younger to kiss his hair, before Juwon called them. He squeezed his shoulder comfortingly as he waved Felix over and they stood to get to their interview.

~~~/~~~/~~~

Jeongin leaned back against the foot of the couch that lined the back wall of the dance practice room. He was sitting on the floor between Felix’s legs, both of them watching the Hyunjin and Seungmin as they fooled around in front of the mirror. Chan and Jisung were in the studio, and Minho had dragged Changbin out on a date, a real one to replace the one that had led to their outing. Something about there being a lot of pink and soft things. It made Jeongin smile, because for all that most people thought Changbin was scary, and he was when you gave him a good reason to be, he was generally the softest of them next to Felix. 

Jeongin was stuck at the dance room with Felix, Hyunjin, and Seungmin though. There were still parts of the new choreography that he was working to get down and the two dancers had agreed to stay and help him. Seungmin had come along for the ride because he felt like there were things he could still work on. He and Felix were taking a break while Seungmin and Hyunjin discussed some of the technicalities of the dance, specifically arm movement. 

It meant that he could talk to his fellow alpha about his current dilemma; how to ask Chan to ride his cock.

It had been a fantasy of his for a while now, long before they’d found out about how the drift beta had lost his virginity. He’d felt the hope to get that particular wet dream played out die as the oldest had admitted it to them. He didn’t want to dreg up bad memories or ask for something that Chan would feel he needed to accommodate because Jeongin was the youngest. But Minho had said Chan had rode him a bit when they’d watched Felix knot Changbin, so maybe…?

It didn’t help he knotted big like Felix did, but the other alpha had knotted Chan already and they’d been fine. Yet, Hyunjin had had some trouble with Jeongin’s knot the first time they’d done anything. He hadn’t taken Felix’s knot yet, so maybe it would be the same with Hyunjin and Felix. Jeongin was still nervous as hell to ask though. “Innie, what are you thinking about? You’ve sighed like six times in the last few minutes,” Felix asked, leaning down to wrap his arms around the other alpha’s shoulders.

Jeongin leaned over and rested his head on the other’s arm, grumbling softly, “Sorry, just, I want to ask you a question, but I’m not sure I want to hear the answer.”

Felix let a hand run through the youngest’s hair, trying to sooth him as the Australian’s forest scent strengthened a bit more. “Maybe give me an idea? It would be a start.”

Jeongin nodded, “Well, it’s something I want to ask Chan. I-it’s something I want to ask him to do… with me.”

“Like a date or more like,” Felix paused, glancing at the dancers before giving Jeongin a sultry look at made Jeongin’s cheeks burn, “that.”

“…option two,” he admitted, voice muffled by half hiding in Felix’s bicep.

“Ooo,” Felix said lowly, leaning closer, “are you afraid he’ll say no?”

“Mmm,” Jeongin agreed, “and that I’ll dredge up bad memories…”

“Well, what do you want him to do?”

Jeongin considered Felix a moment, then leaned up and whispered into his ear, “I want him to ride me.”

Felix look confused for a moment, “Why would that—Oooooh… I see.”

Jeongin nodded and Felix looked contemplative for a moment before continuing, “I don’t think asking him about it will dredge anything up. And if it does, we can help with that. But you won’t know until you ask if it’s even a possibility. Just try to preface it in case it is something sensitive for him.”

Jeongin harrumphed softly in frustration, pressing his forehead to Felix’s thigh as the other alpha had shifted back so his arm wasn’t as easily reached. There was a moment while Jeongin just grumbled softly, then Felix cleared his throat, “Umm, Innie, you’re gonna need to stop doing that to my thigh. The choreographer might really murder us this time if they catch any of us doing anything in the dance rooms again,” Felix said in a tight voice.

Jeongin pulled back in surprise, Felix’s face was bright red and he was pulling one of their jackets close to try and hide the growing bulge in his pants. Jeongin instantly turned red as well as Seungmin let out a scolding sound, “Yah! We’re here working hard, and you guys are busy playing around?”

“Oh?” Hyunjin said excitedly, “Are you going to try and cheat death by getting away with sex in the practice room again.”

Felix covered his face, “No! I can’t look our choreographer in the eye anymore! I also can’t look Nayeon in the eye! The fact that she was actually giving us tips on the best places to hide for it was just…” 

The three youngest had gotten caught earlier that week by their choreographer and had received a much-deserved punishment for it. Or so Chan had said. Minho had stood behind him rolling his eyes and just motioning for them to let him get it out of his system. Word had gotten around though, and Nayeon had proceeded to map out the best corners to hide in and get ‘frisky’, since she and Jeongyeon had apparently already found most of them. They were now avoiding them like the plague, because what if they caught them or someone else there? That would just be embarrassing.

Seungmin groaned in unison with Jeongin at the idea, while Hyunjin just burst into laughter. 

~~~/~~~/~~~

Jeongin bit his lip as he sat curled up on the couch, listening to Chan hum as he cooked a small dinner for them. After talking to Felix, the older alpha had helped orchestrate a date with the other six, while Jeongin and Chan stayed home. He was always terrible at being subtle about those things. He tended to ask outright, even though he wanted to be suave about it. He knew he wouldn’t be able to practice with this though. He was too nervous. 

He stood up as Chan began placed a few dishes out. It wasn’t anything elaborate, some ban chan with bibimbap and bulgogi. It smelled delicious though. Jeongin settled down at the table with a wide smile, “It all looks so good!”

Chan smiled, “Well dig in then!”

Jeongin did just that, when he really should have been talking to the leader about why Felix had actually taken only six of them out on a date. As Chan sat down and began to eat, Jeongin periodically paused to watch him, trying to gather his courage, but failing miserably. It took three tries before he finally managed, “Umm, Chan?”

The older looked up around a mouth full of food and hummed in question. Jeongin took a breath and kept going, “I-I wanted to ask if we could do…something.”

Chan frowned, brow knitting as he straightened, “Something? Like what?”

“Uum, i-it’s about… sex,” he finally forced out.

Chan choked slightly on the rice he’d been chewing on and Jeongin panicked for a moment, starting to stand up to go help him, but Chan waved him off and he gathered his composure. “Sorry,” Chan breathed, “you and I just haven’t really talked about that. I knew something was coming but was surprised it was that.”

“That’s—that’s what I wanted to talk about. We haven’t done much together, and I wanted to, umm… change that,” he said shyly, knowing his cheeks were a dark shade of red. 

“Oh,” Chan said sheepishly, then paused, “you have something specific in mind?”

“Yeah, I just… I don’t want you to feel like you have to, and I don’t want to bring up bad memories,” Jeongin admitted, biting his lower lip. 

He ate a few more mouthfuls of food, afraid he’d not be able to eat anymore with how nervous he’d gotten. Chan looked concerned though, “Innie, you can always ask, I’m not going to be mad even if it’s something I’ll choose not to do.”

Jeongin nodded, worrying his lower lip a moment before finally asking, “I would like you to ride me.”

Chan paused, seeming to consider it for a moment, “You mean, r-ride your cock? Like, me in your lap?”

Jeongin nodded, expression turning hopeful. Chan cleared his throat, the leader’s ears turning red as well, “I-I mean, if you really want me to.”

“Yes!” Jeongin said quickly, and perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. He cleared his throat before continuing a bit more calmly, “Yes, I really do. But I know your other time doing it wasn’t…great.”

A flicker of amusement passed over Chan’s face, but he nodded, “It wasn’t, but I’d like to try again. I kind of did with Minho and,” the red of his ears spread, “it was really good.”

A breath of relief left Jeongin and his smile returned, “Thank you!”

Chan laughed shyly, ducking his head a little, before pointing to the food, “Come on, eat up. We can discuss it more afterwards.”

Jeongin nodded enthusiastically and went back to his food, happily taking his fill. Once they were both full, they quickly packed up the leftovers and began to clean the dishes. It didn’t take long for Jeongin to go from drying silverware (because no one trusted him with anything breakable), to wrapping his arms around Chan’s waist and nuzzling at his neck. The alpha smiled as Chan relaxed back into him, balancing their weight. Chan was heavy because he was all muscle, he knew that well enough from how often the drift beta would just pick him or Seungmin up and cart one of them off. It was different to feel it pressed against you though. 

His mind briefly went to the few times he’d watched Chan get fucked and he could feel his cock jump. Unconsciously, he let his lips trail over Chan’s neck and shoulder, humming softly as he went along. Chan shivered, “Innie, sweety, I need to finish the dishes…”

Jeongin whimpered disagreeably, pouting into his skin, “You can finish them. I’m just not letting you go.”

Chan snorted, “Dishwashing isn’t exactly the sexiest thing.”

A huff from Jeongin and he nuzzled his face into Chan’s neck again to at least enjoy his scent, though keeping his lips to himself as Chan finished up. When Chan finally dried his hands, he turned in Jeongin’s arms. It was so odd to see the leader looking up at him just a bit. He wasn’t much taller than Chan, not like how Hyunjin and Seungmin were the tallest two now. Chan offered him an easy smile and it made Jeongin lean in, capturing the drift beta’s lips in a kiss. It was a bit hesitant at first. It wasn’t like they’d never kissed, they’d done plenty of that. It was more the setting. It was just them, no one else to possibly steal their attention and it made it more nerve-wrecking. 

Chan pulled back a little to wrap his arms around the alpha’s shoulders, “Hey, I can practically hear you thinking. You’re fine, Innie.”

The younger let out a breath, “Sorry.”

Chan kissed him again, always attentive and mindful of each movement and how his partner was reacting. One day, Jeongin would be confident enough to make Chan melt the way the others could, especially the way Minho and Hyunjin managed it. He could do a little bit right now, or so he hoped. Pulling back from Chan, he set his jaw determinedly, and with a shift of his stance, he hefted Chan up with his hands under the drift beta’s thighs. 

Chan cried out, uncertain, especially when Jeongin tipped precariously, but then steadied and looked up at Chan with a surprised, but hopeful smile. The action hadn’t had the exact effect he originally wanted as Chan laughed and kissed him again, wrapping his legs around Jeongin’s waist to help him balance better, but he would take the bright expression on his face.

He’d get it eventually, but he was more than determined to carry the older to the nest. “J-Jeongin,” Chan said between laughter as the younger began walking, “you don’t need to do this, I can walk—”

“Nope, carrying you!” Jeongin cut in definitively, smile and jaw set as he hefted Chan a bit and kicked the door to the nest room open. 

If he felt steadier, he would have dropped Chan back onto the bed, but he wasn’t. So instead, he turned and sat down on the bed with Chan in his lap. It gave him more control over the fall than just hoping Chan would fall nicely. The drift beta looked down at him, situating himself more comfortably in the alpha’s lap as he smiled proudly, “I see you’re taking the ‘big, strong, alpha’ thing seriously.”

Jeongin nodded, “I’ll be able to lift you easier next time. You and Changbin might be the strongest of us, but I’ll get there!”

Chan laughed again, and the alpha really loved their leader’s laugh, before leaning in for another kiss. Jeongin continued smiling into the kiss, hooking his arms around Chan’s waist and pulling him a little closer. The drift beta made a happy little sound that caused the younger tighten his grip. The kiss deepened and both slowly relaxed more into it, exploring and enjoying one another. When they finally pulled back for air, the alpha leaned into attack Chan’s neck again, making him take in a deep breath and tilt his head to give better access. Jeongin let a hand run up the other’s back, the feel of muscles moving beneath the black t-shirt making him pull Chan closer together so their chests pressed together.

The drift beta was solid and warm beneath Jeongin’s hands and it made the alpha dig his fingers into the other more. Chan gasped and Jeongin looked up trying to gauge the other. His eyes were closed and mouth open, taking in deep breaths. Jeongin took it as a good sign as he slid a hand down to Chan’s hip and gripped it tightly while he rolled their hips together. The alpha felt his cock jerk as it pressed alongside Chan’s before the older shifted a little and moved a hand down to cover Jeongin’s. Their hips moved together as they worked out a rhythm, Jeongin growling low at the way Chan bit his lower lip.

Chan was a tease though, and he licked his lips with that little smirk, making Jeongin lean up for a kiss, nipping at an already swollen lower lip. The drift beta leaned back though, just out of reach with the smirk widening. Jeongin gave another low growl before flipping Chan onto the bed on his back. The older blinked up at him in surprise and Jeongin enjoyed the surprised moment from him, before leaning down kiss him again. 

His hands went back to Chan’s hips and he lifted them enough for him to settle between his legs, so their cocks could press together again and make Chan wrap his arms around him. It felt good to have the other cling to him like this as he began raining kisses down on his neck and over the marks they’d all been putting back on the oldest as they healed. 

Jeongin pulled back a little to ask, “Do, you like it… when we mark you where people can see?”

His hand crept under Chan’s shirt, mapping over the lines of his stomach and smoothing lightly into ticklish ribs. Chan let out a high giggle at the touch to his ribs, but it dropped into a moan as fangless teeth pressed against the mark Jisung had left a few days ago. “Y-yes,” Chan admitted, his fingers digging into the younger’s back.

Jeongin grinned before sinking a row of teeth into the flesh of Chan’s neck, just below Jisung’s mark, careful of the veins and only making a few pin pricks at first. The sound Chan made went straight to his cock and he ground hard against the other, drawing the sound out longer as Chan trembled. 

_That_ was the reaction he wanted, but he wanted to see it as Chan rode him, as he went down on his knot. The mental imagery made his sink his teeth in a touch more before pulling away and gasping for breath, drinking in Chan’s bright ocean scent as it blended into a darker cedar wood, the hints of citrus keeping his mind clear as they paused a moment. 

Then hands were sliding up from his hips and under his shirt, gliding along his back. “We both still have too many clothes on,” Chan said in a voice muffled by Jeongin’s shoulder.

The alpha sat up quickly, because he had a goal to reach, and while he loved the look of his mark on Chan’s neck next to Jisung’s, he wanted to see much more than that. He quickly pulled at Chan’s shirt, helped him pull it off and sneaking in touches to the arched body along the way. Jeongin paused as he saw one of his nipples, teeth marks around it and the bruise healing, his hand coming up to cup his ribs to still the older. “Damn, Seungmin really did that…” He said, a bit in awe.

Chan blushed a bit darker, if that were possible, and nodded. Jeongin hummed and leaned over, licking over the marked and bruise nipple. Chan gasped and his head dropped back onto one of the pillows, “Ahh! That’s… Innie…!”

The alpha ran his tongue over it before sucking lightly on it, making Chan’s back arch, while his hand went for the buttons on the drift beta’s jeans. Hyunjin had taught him how to undo a button with one hand, Minho had taught him how to do it quicker. So, he had his hand deep in Chan’s pants before the older could do much but make a strangled noise of surprise and buck his hips upward.

“Fuck, what have they been teaching you?” Chan asked breathlessly.

“A lot,” Jeongin replied, grinning as he felt the other’s hips roll up his length into his hand. 

Jeongin didn’t expect the world to suddenly tip in the next instance, twisting until Chan was hovering over him, breath still heavy, but now he was the one grinning down at Jeongin, “Sure about that?”

“Well, my hand’s still on your cock,” and the younger gave it a quick pump, making Chan’s hips jerk.

“And you’re the one who’s still mostly clothed. I can’t ride you like that,” Chan shot back.

Jeongin contemplated this a moment, frowning slightly and making Chan laugh, “Cute,” he half sang out.

Jeongin’s eyes flash and he quickly switched their positions again, leaning back and pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside, “Then you should get out of your pants too.”

The alpha smiled brightly at the older as they both worked to get out of their pants and underwear as quickly as possible. Once they were tossed aside, Jeongin quickly climbed back over Chan and between his legs, pulling him in for a kiss as he pressed him back into the bed. Chan let his arms wrap around Jeongin’s torso, fingers pressing into the pale skin as he rocked his hips upward. The alpha pulled back to look at the headboard, scrambling for some sort of lube. Once he had it, Chan snatched it up and covered his hand, before encircling their cocks against one another, and bucking his hips. 

Jeongin moaned and dropped his head onto Chan’s shoulder, “F-fuck.”

Chan took a shuddering breath and moved between thrusting his hips and pumping his hand. Jeongin began kissing and licking across Chan’s neck and collarbones, dipping lower when he could, enjoying the taste of the drift beta as his own hips thrust in response to Chan’s skilled movements. He finally had to reach down and stop him, making the older look up questioningly. Jeongin smiled a bit nervously, “You’re…really good with your hands.”

The other blinked in confusion, then, “Oh! Sorry, Innie.”

Jeongin shook his head and allowed Chan to roll them over. He hovered over the alpha’s thighs a moment as he situated himself, their cocks sliding against one another as he did so and making Jeongin bite his lips at the sensation. He quickly pulled a condom on and Chan added a bit more lube, though from what Seungmin had said, Chan didn’t need much. Not like Changbin or Hyunjin sometimes needed more, or how Jisung needed a lot. 

The alpha looked up at Chan as he hesitated, “You sure this okay?”

Chan took a deep breath and nodded, “Yeah, I just need a moment is all,” and offered Jeongin a reassuring smile.

He nodded but kept his hands on Chan’s hips as he began to lower himself onto Jeongin’s length. The alpha couldn’t help the sounds and curses that left him as Chan settled down to his knot, tight and hot around him as he fought not to buck up into the other before he was ready. Jeongin knew his fingers were probably going to leave behind bruises on the drift beta’s hips, but Chan just held a hand over one of them, a signal to keep them where they were while the other hand helped him balance. As the moments wore on, Jeongin couldn’t help it as he finally let slip, “Ch-Channie…please…?”

Chan looked up, locking eyes with Jeongin, and the younger felt his breath leave him for a moment. The drift beta was watching him with heavy-lidded eyes darkened with pleasure, chest moving heavily with each breath, and biting down on his lower lip in a way that made Jeongin’s cock twitch inside of Chan. He knew the older felt it, because his eyes fluttered, and a whimper left him. The alpha’s jaw dropped open, moving as if to say something but he could get any words out. 

Instead, Chan resituated himself, then pushed himself up slightly and dropped back down onto Jeongin’s length, making him take in a deep breath at the rush of pleasure that ran through him. The alpha forced his eyes to stay open so he could watch as the older began to ride him. Chan’s toned body flexed and arched as he started a shallow rhythm, making little noises that had Jeongin wanting to grab his waist and thrust up into him hard. 

Not yet though, he wanted to see how the drift beta liked it, see how he chose to take every inch of Jeongin’s cock. The rise and fall of his body got higher, making each thrust longer and deeper. Jeongin let his hands move to pale thighs, digging his nails into the thick muscles there and drinking in the whimper it pulled from Chan as his movements turned jerky for a moment before they evened back out. 

The alpha licked his lips, glancing up to find Chan’s eyes closed as he shifted to roll his hips and toss his head back with the change of angle inside of him. Jeongin shuddered at the new sensation, but his eyes trailed back down Chan’s body to the hard length between his legs. He only thought on it a moment, before taking it in his hand and giving it a slow pump in time with the thrusts of Chan’s hips. The way the drift beta clenched around him pulled a startled noise out of him and changed the angle of Chan’s movements again, pushing into his hand with each movement.

Everything Chan did was a piece of his wet dreams come true and he was going to have to repay Felix big time for the push he’d given him. Now though, he wanted to be locked inside of the older, wanted to feel him tighten around his knot, because he was so damn close, “Channie…? Channie, please, take me knot?”

The drift beta nodded and pulled Jeongin’s hands up to his hips, “Gonna need a little help,” he slurred out, lips red from being bitten.

Jeongin nodded and took hold of his hips again and resituated his feet for leverage. Chan licked his lips before pulling up and dropping back down. Jeongin thrust up hard, making him gasp and almost go cross-eyed as Chan stretched around his knot, but didn’t quite slip in. He took an even breath as Chan panted out, “You ok, Innie?”

Jeongin opened his eyes to look at Chan, wondering for a moment how he was so composed. One look at him proved he really wasn't though, hands on Jeongin’s arms shaking and eyes fluttering, cock leaking and jerking between his thighs. The alpha swallowed and nodded quickly, “Yes, f-fuck yes.”

Chan managed a shaky grin but shifted back for better balance and continued the harder thrusts. Each time he took a little more of the growing knot at the base of Jeongin’s length, until finally it slipped all the way in. Jeongin would like to say that he was able to pull his knot in and out a few times, tease Chan with it for a while. But that was definitely not the case. The second Chan had him to the hilt, his knot popped and he came hard. Chan cried out, body arching as a hand reached down to take hold of his own cock and pump it in time with the little jerks of Jeongin’s hips until he came as well. Jeongin whimpered, because to made Chan clench even harder around him, and that pulled him a little bit deeper into his orgasm. 

They stayed still for a few minutes, both shuddering through the aftershocks of their climax, Chan tipping now and again in his still upright position. Jeongin finally twisted and pulled him down so they were laying on their sides face to face, though a bit awkwardly because of how Chan had to place his leg under the alpha’s waist. “Thank you,” Jeongin murmured, “was so damn good.”

Chan smiled and kissed him a few times, “Thank you, that was amazing.”

“I’m not… too big?” Jeongin asked, a little worried that Chan might have the same problem Hyunjin had.

Chan shook his head, “You’re definitely big, Innie. It’s a really good stretch.” He half mumbled, “But I love it.”

Jeongin relaxed and nuzzled up into Chan’s neck, taking in the dark cedar wood scent that came with Chan post sex, relaxing into the comfort and familiarity of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Could you just—  
> Brain: *Sings Breath at the top of its lungs*  
> Me: … You are a disgrace.  
> Brian: *Sings louder*  
> Me: Fucking hell…
> 
> So, I wanted to have this done by the end of the year, but between the writer’s block and the holidays starting up, I am not sure I am going to be able to. I’ve gotten through most of the writer’s block, it’s just a matter of having the time to write in the first place. 
> 
> So, just a warning, next chapter may not be up until January. I hope everyone has a safe and lovely holiday!!


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